Product Description
From their heroic performance in the Pacific War, against Japanese troops on godforsaken islands, to their tip-of-the-lance leadership in key operations in the two Gulf Wars, the Marines have proven again and again that elite men with elite training are worth entire armies. James Warrens battle-driven history shows how this elite culture has produced the best warriors in the country, through six decades, several open wars, and many smaller interventions.
Customer Reviews:
Cheerleading At Its Worst.......2007-01-11
I found this book in my local library while searching for information on the activities of the modern United States Marine Corps. While it goes pretty far in meeting this interest, its got some really annoying baggage.
The basic premise of Mr. Warren's story seems to be the United States Marine Corps is the only organization capable of defending the interests of the nation. The other services are failed organizations lacking in the martial skill, charisma and intelligence to do much more than thwart Marines in their activities and to occasionally produce a leader who will praise their greatness. To apparently reinforce this, the author almost always uses lower case terminology when referring to members of the supposedly inferior branches. I really don't see the point of all this. The Marines have an illustrious history which does not need the belittling of other services to help it along.
If Mr. Warren could have proved his premise, I would not be so harsh. But the man just does not seem to have much of a clue when it comes to the background of the "lesser" services and their histories. This can best be seen in his take on activities in Somalia in the early 1990s. From the author's vantage, the Marines pretty much had Somalia stabilized when the Army took over and screwed up everything by not using Marine techniques. This is a massive oversimplification given that the Marine and Army missions in Somalia were so different comparisons just do not make sense. Perhaps if he delved into a little Army specific research he might have realized this. Sadly, it appears the author just relied on official Marine sources such as one would get from Public Affairs Officers. How does one otherwise explain the author's bizarre comment that Marines pioneered the use if helicopters in warfare (yeah, Marines were first to actually use them but most of the innovations came from the Army during the Vietnam War).
The only part I liked was Warren's recounting of recent Marine combat activities. While a bit dry at times, he does managage to pull together the big picture and a foxhole view pretty well. But even then, youve got to put up with lots of propaganda.
a bit revisionist of marine history.......2006-06-25
begins with wwii works forward. has many of the standard historical errrors of the tet and misses most of the final victories in the late sixties.
A thoroughgoing history of the Marines.......2006-04-08
If you're interested in the history of the Marines and how they have maintained their independence and their relevance, this is a great book for you. I enjoyed learning more about how the Marines train their recruits to instill Marine values. Some elements of the military think this sort of thing is outdated; this book makes a good case that it's not.
The book makes an interesting point that in some ways the Marines are diverging more today than they used to from the mainstream civilian American lifestyle. America today has fallen for the idea that happiness lies in buying more stuff. The Marines reject this in favor of loyalty, duty to country, hard work, etc. Materialism is not part of the ethics they teach. I had not thought of the Marines as a force for good in this area before. In a way it gives me hope. As an ecological economist I put a lot of effort into trying to get people to understand that the present American way of life centered around driving to the mall is not making us happier. That lifestyle has no future in any case; the passing of the oil peak and the end of the cheap oil era will see to that. It's great to know that there are some unexpected allies out there. For more on this, see "The Long Emergency" by Kunstler.
One thing the book left me wishing is that the Marines would play more of a role in asking questions about when, where, and why America should fight wars. The Marines have lost a great many good men fighting in utterly pointless wars like Vietnam. The war in Iraq, sadly, looks to be going down the same tragic pathway. Our nation simply cannot afford this sort of war. The Marines clearly love their country. Why aren't they doing more to see that America spends its money and men where they will do some good, instead of pouring them down rat holes?
The first modern battle history of the Marines in a generation and examines how they performed in key conflicts.......2006-04-03
Students of World War II will want to read a different view in American Spartans: The U.S. Marines: A Combat History From Iwo Jima To Iraq. It's the first modern battle history of the Marines in a generation and examines how they performed in key conflicts from World War II to modern times - and how they've changed. The evolution of their strategies and tactics have really undergone transformation over six decades, and American Spartans traces these changes using dozens of interviews, hundreds of print sources, and firsthand observation of modern Marine exercises.
Sixty years of Marine Corps History.......2006-04-03
Americna Spartans relates sixty years of the 230 year history of the Marine Corps from Iwo Jima to Iraq. After reading the first seventy pages it seemed that the book was an antithesis to the creed of MTSgt Percy Webb, a pioneer public relations type from the early 1900s who said, "I had the utmost faith in the service I was writing about and so I did not need to "gild the lily. Warren was writing a masterful tale of "cheerleading". But from that point on it became increasingly evident that the author does not "gild the lily". American Spartans is not written in the gray areas of history. It is written in black and white, reciting the bad along with the good.
The Ribbon Creek Incident in 1956 is reported by telling what happened, how it happened and what resulted from its happening. The excesses in training experienced by recruits are also realted with no excuses offered. Casualities from friendly fire are included in the battle summaries. The dismal "State of the Corps" in the period of 1972-1975 is brutal, but accurate in stating that 50% of the recruits were non-highschool graduates, just under 50% of those who joined in this period "washed-out" prior to completing their first enlistment and 20% were mental group IVs (borderline intelligence). Keep in mind that this 20% was in part forced on the Corps by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's 100,000.
The Corps was in danger of losing it's reputation as an elite force. The sociological attitudes of the junior leaders within the Corps at that time contributed to this sad state of affairs. Warren also brings to the fore a number of SNAFUs, such as Mayaguez, of the Corps. This mess and others were generally brought about by combining the Marines with their sister services causing errors in coordination and control. Splitting of the air and ground elements of the Corps lead to many of these errors and unnecessaary casualities resulted.
The leadership of the Marines became cognizant of this state and brought the Corps back from the ashes of the Phoenix Bird to it's rightful position of being the nation's "force-in-readiness".
As the history proceeds from World War II to Korea, the author shows an increasing knowledge of what occurred between the lines. The early years are reported factually but without great depth. As the distance in years is shortened the author includes more and more insight for the reader. This insight adds excitement and thrist for more of what makes history live and breath. The in-depth detail of the post World War "China Marines" creates a beginning of the thrist for more in this history of the Marine Corps and it then continues to the last page.
James Warren shows that the Marine Corps is unique over it's sister services by instilling in its leaders a "can-do" attitude expressed by Elbert Hubbard in "A Letter to Garcia" written in 1899. The senior (at whatever level) issues the order to the junior but does not tell the junior how to compete the mission. The senior expects the junior to employ his own imagination and resources to accomplish the task. This attitude is paramount in the philosophy of the United States Marine Corps.
Warren uses 50-cent words from time to time which created a need for trips to the "Webster". The author may have used these words to keep the readers attention and to insure that alertness was maintained. Warren uses "won" in place of "awarded" in reference to Medals of Honor or Silver Stars which irratates many within the "Brotherhood".
American Spartans expresses a value stated in an axion of Col. John W. Thomason, Jr., "The profession of the military is a noble one and I chose to follow it".
The United States Marine Corps has had its ups and downs but will continue to live in concert with a quote of President Teddy Roosevelt's:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong stumbled, or how the doer could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, his face marred by dust, sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and falls short again and again: there is no effort without error.
But he who tries, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions who spends himself in a worthy cause, at best knows the triumph of achievement, and at worst, fails while daring. His place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat". The book does "cheerlead" but it does not "gild-the-lily".
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by Thomson Gale on November 28, 2005. The length of the article is 1358 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Semper Fighting; When the going gets tough, the Marines get the assignment.(American Spartans: The U.S. Marines, a Combat History from Iwo Jima to Iraq)(Book review)
Author: Theodore L. Gatchel
Publication:
The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 28, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 11
Issue: 11
Page: NA
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
Wounded Knee in historical & military perspective.......2001-08-23
ONE USUALLY SEARCHES IN VAIN FOR AN AN EVEN HANDED NON PARTISAN ACCOUNT OF THIS SAD EVENT. MR. UTLEY APPEARS TO DO JUST THIS IN HIS 1963 PRESENTATION WHICH IS EMPATHETIC YET FACT DRIVEN. HE PROVIDES DIRECT EVIDENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT BIG FOOT'S WARRIORS WERE WELL ARMED & DID INDEED COMMENCE FIRE ON FORSYTH'S 7TH CAVALRY AT POINT BLANK RANGE. MILITARY ARCHIVAL DATA PROVIDES LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE WIDESPREAD MYTH THAT MOST MILITARY CASUALTIES WERE INFLICTED BY FRIENDLY FIRE. SIOUX COMBATANTS INFLICTED DEATH BY GUNFIRE ON 25 7TH CAVALRY TROOPERS. A FACT SELDOM REPORTED BY "MASSACRE" PROPONENTS WAS THAT SIOUX COMBATANTS WERE INTERSPERSED WITH NON COMBATANTS DURING THE MELEE. ONLY ONE OF FOUR AVAILABLE HOTCHKISS ARTILLERY PIECES WERE EMPLOYED TO CONTAIN THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING BATTLE. THE SIOUX DID IN FACT APPEAR TO BE "PLAYERS" IN THIS BATTLE.
Book Description
This fascinating account tells what the Sioux were like when they first came to their reservation and how their reaction to the new system eventually led to the last confrontation between the Army and the Sioux at the Battle of Wounded Knee Creek. A classic work, it is now available with a new preface by the author that discusses his current thoughts about a tragic episode in American history that has raised much controversy through the years.
Praise for the earlier edition:
"History as lively and gripping as good fiction.”
“One of the finest books on the Indian wars of the West.”--Montana
“A well-told, easily read account that will be the standard reference for this phase of the Indian ‘problem.’”--American Historical Review
“A major job . . . magnificently researched.”--San Francisco Chronicle
“By far the best treatment of the complex and controversial relationship between the Sioux and their conquerors yet presented and should be must reading for serious students of Western Americana.”--St. Louis Dispatch (on the earlier edition)
Winner of the Buffalo Award
Average customer rating:
- Thought-Provoking
- Some interesting info, some not
- Naturally Dangerous
- A Movement Toward Health & Environmental Truth
- Learn more about your environment, health, and nutrition.
|
Naturally Dangerous: Surprising Facts about Food, Health, and the Environment
James Paddock Collman
Manufacturer: UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nutrition
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Food Additives
| Nutrition
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Environmental Case for Nuclear Power: Economic, Medical, and Political Considerations
-
Braving the Elements
ASIN: 1891389092 |
Book Description
Full of surprising anecdotes, curious facts and historical oddities, this remarkable little book connects observations from our everyday lives to the scientific principles that explain them. You will find information on organic produce, irradiated foods, trans fat and fat substitutes, natural herbs, designer drugs, smallpox, Mad Cow Disease, Prions, Anthrax, cancer, DNA testing, global warming, acid rain, aphrodisiacs, pheromones, and much more. Chances are if there is something you were wondering about, you will find it covered here. Should you be eating margarine? Are cell phones safe? Read on!The author has avoided scientific jargon and mathematics to make this book of interest to nonscientists and scientists alike.
Customer Reviews:
Thought-Provoking.......2002-07-31
As a former marketing assistant for a small publisher, this interesting work caught my attention. It is a highly informative reference, which addresses health and environmental issues that will be of interest to everyone. The information is indispensable to anyone concerned with their heath and provides details on prescription drugs, vitamins and herbal medicines, along with some possible dangers or side effects of popular herbs. Where misconceptions abound or confusion arises due to conflicting information in the popular press, this resource provides a logical viewpoint.
Collman covers the underlying science, in a non-technical and understanding manner, behind the chemistry involved in our everyday lives. You'll find this book valuable time and time again.
Some interesting info, some not.......2002-03-08
Well, he opens the section on Organic Foods with "Organic food, promoted by 'political correctness' and some scientific misunderstandings..." I guess my chance for an objective view on this subject just flew out the window.
He then states that organic food is more likely to harbor bacteria (8 times, although we don't have any details where that number came from) and that there are no reports of deaths due to pesticide residues so that it is obviously better to eat non-organic. Hello? Why are people dropping like flies from cancer? Pesticide residues is certainly a great place to look for answers, but here its dispensed with in a couple of pages.
Next he goes on about the dangers of contaminated alfalfa sprouts, which is peripheral to the whole arguement since they are not necessarily organic.
And finally, we get to hear an explanation of how naturally occurring carcinogens are more dangerous than synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
In another part of the book he states that factory raised chickens are far more likely to carry salmonella than free range. That seems like something of a contradiction to me.
This fellow may be a chemist, but what we are hearing are opinions. You can believe his if you want, but I'm not convinced.
On the up side, I did learn that a healthy person passes wind 14 times a day, at a volume between 25 and 100 millileters on each occasion, so I'll give him 2 stars.
Naturally Dangerous.......2002-01-14
NATURALLY DANGEROUS
"Nothing is completely safe or risk free", as we are constantly required to balance "one risk against another". So says Dr. James Collman of Stanford's Department of Chemistry in the preface of his recently published book, "Naturally Dangerous". Filled with interesting, scientific and historic anecdotes which will appeal to the curious reader, it's larger purpose is to explain in lay terms, the essence of the more important scientific controversies which have impacted public policy in recent decades. There is great risk in nature, but scientific understanding and the introduction of commercial applications of science have insulated us from many of these naturally occurring risks, allowing for a near doubling of life expectancy over the past century. But this desirable end has come at a cost. As Dr. Collman posits, "there is no free lunch". We constantly deal with tradeoffs between risk reduction and the creation of new risks, which our interventions spawn. It is only through meaningful understanding of the pertinent scientific concepts that we as a society can begin to make rational judgments. The problem is that we live in a sea of scientific illiteracy both on the part of the electorate as well as within our political leadership. Often trained in the law, many woefully lack necessary technical insight. Such a state paves the way for purposeful obfuscation of the scientific reality, creating an environment favorable for the promotion of public phobias for partisan political ends. By providing us with 224 pages of easy to read basic science, Dr. Collman does his part to push these debates in a logical direction.
Duncan Mason, MD
A Movement Toward Health & Environmental Truth.......2001-12-28
The book, "Naturally Dangerous" is balanced, recognizes known facts and points out uncertainties in our knowledge when the facts are not known unequivocally. The simplified chemistry and physics of a wide range of human experience should be valuable to most readers. Unfortunately there are some on the "fringe" of health and environmental issues who adopt firm positions, are unwilling to accept evidence which doesn't support them, and may be vaguely critical of the book's content. This is called "politics", and it gets in the way of the orderly pursuit of truth. This book is a refreshing step in the direction of truth.
Learn more about your environment, health, and nutrition........2001-12-22
Professor Collman's new book is an excellent source of information about the foods you eat, the drugs you take, and the environment you live in. He explains how and why natural substances are essential to your good health and also how these same substances can be dangerous to your health. Easy and fun to read, this well researched book provides an abundance of facts and information about the benefits and dangers of vitamins, hormones, health foods, prescription and over-the counter drugs, air pollution, radio activity and other topics of interest to everyone. Would make a good present for anyone and has excellent references for further reading, an extensive glossary, and is well indexed. An exellent and well balanced book by an outstanding teacher.
Average customer rating:
|
A Raindrop Hit My Nose (Our Amazing World Series)
Ray Butram
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Christian
| Fiction
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Ages 4-8
| Christianity
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Weather
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1576733106
Release Date: 1998-03-23 |
Customer Reviews:
The Water-cycle.......2002-04-30
This is a good book for explaining the water-cycle to little readers. The reader follows the journey of a raindrop that lands on a little boys nose one day.
Average customer rating:
|
Our Wet World: Aquatic Ecosystems
Sneed B. Collard
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Nonfiction
| Marine Life
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| General
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Environment & Ecology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Early Reader
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| A-Z Mysteries
| All Aboard Reading
| Amanda Pig
| Amelia Bedelia
| Andrew Lost
| Babar
| Berenstain Bears
| Bob Books
| Brand New Readers
| Clifford
| Dorling Kindersley Readers
| Dr. Seuss
| Early Step into Reading
| Elvis the Rooster
| Encyclopedia Brown
| Ernestine & Amanda
| Festival Readers
| First Stepping Stone Books
| Frances
| Frog and Toad
| George and Martha
| Green Light Readers
| Hello Reader
| High-Rise Private Eyes
| I Can Read Books
| I Spy
| Junie B. Jones
| Let's Read and Find Out Science
| Little Bill Books
| Little Critter
| Little Toot
| Magic Elements
| Magic School Bus
| Magic Tree House
| Marvin Redpost
| Max
| Minnie and Moo
| Nate the Great
| Puffin Easy-to-Read
| Ready For Chapters
| Real Kids Readers
| Rugrats
| Scooby Doo Readers
| Shredderman
| The Littles First Readers
| Viking Easy-to-Read
| Winnie-the-Pooh First Reader
| Young Cam Jansen Mysteries
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| General
| Animals
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Marine Life
| Animals
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Environment & Ecology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
I Was a Third Grade Science Grade Project
-
The Gadget War (Puffin Chapters)
-
The Stories Julian Tells
-
Dandelions
-
Stanley, Flat Again!
ASIN: 0881062685 |
Book Description
Every plant and animal needs water to live, grow, and reproduce, but water also provides many living things with a place to live. Whether it be the quiet, muddy salt marsh or the sunny, tropical coral reef, this underwater journey to thirteen aquatic ecosystems will amaze you with the diversity of our wet world. Colorful, detailed illustrations splash off the pages, and the fact-filled text provides a fascinating introduction to each watery region.
Amazon.com
From juicy grass to waves of spit and anger to teardrops to winter "sky-pickles," award-winning poet Constance Levy splashes around in all water's many forms. Thirty-four poems celebrate snowdrops, soap bubbles, fog, and glaciers, in a way that will encourage young readers to view the regular old world through new lenses:
I love you,
fuzzy foggy air,
so dewy wet
and white
because without you
who would know
what walking in a cloud
is like?
David Soman's shades-of-blue-gray illustrations (in watercolor, of course) more often evoke than depict, inspiring still more flights of fancy in the reader. Levy's childlike joy in water--whether it be a still pool, scampering ocean waves, or "tasty snowflakes"-is contagious. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
Water runs through our lives; it is, in fact, essential to all life. And it takes many forms-it can be the liquid that quenches our thirst, the rain that pours from the sky, the juice of a ripe tomato, even a dramatic white tower in a polar landscape. These poems observe nature and also invite young readers to make observations of their own.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2002-04-06
I love this book! Constance Levy does it again with this delightful, refreshing and thought provoking collection of poems. Her skillful use of rhythm and rhyme, and her keen observations of nature earn her a place among the upper echelon of children's poets such as Emily Dickinson and Lilian Moore.
Thorougly enjoyable, and it's both fun and educational for my children.
Average customer rating:
|
101 Facts about Lakes (101 Facts About Our World)
Julia Barnes
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 083683707X |
Book Description
The Landon family is Southboundheaded for Florida to investigate a mysterious illness plaguing endangered manatees in Everglades National Park. Jack, Ashley, and their friend Bridger soon find themselves in deadly waters with a seven-foot shark, an injured manateeand a mystery to solve. Who was the stranger in the speedboat who snatched Jack's camera? And what does he have to do with the manatees? Join the heart-stopping chase through a maze of mangrove islands to find out!
Average customer rating:
- Have read a ton of travel adventure stories and this is among the finest
- Very weak, not the kayak adventure that the title suggests.
- What an adventure!
|
A Boat in Our Baggage: Around the World With a Kayak
Maria Coffey
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Women
| Specific Groups
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Travel
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Boating
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Sea Kayaking
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Whitewater Kayaking
| Kayaking
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific
ASIN: 0070115478 |
Amazon.com
Maria Coffey and her husband Dag paddled their folding kayak around the Solomon Islands, along the Ganges, across Lake Malawi, down the Danube. Unlike many travelers, they talked to the natives of these places about politics, religion, and economics, with good-humored though often sobering results. Fresh, frank, and observant, this is a wonderful piece of travel writing.
Customer Reviews:
Have read a ton of travel adventure stories and this is among the finest.......2007-01-28
A friend who has traveled widely as a nurse lent me her copy of this book, and after having read Bill Bryson's books, Getting Stoned with Savages by Troost, and tons of other travel books, I was feeling a little burnt on the topic and didn't really think that this humble-looking book would stand up next to the rest. Boy was I wrong.
From the first pages, the author and her partner Dag captured my interest with their humor and excitement about the journey, and as soon as they got started I was hooked. They went through Fiji and tried the famous Kava, they kayaked down the Ganges in India and on each stop startled and pleased the villagers and local holy men with their visit, and dodged hippos and militias on Lake Malawi.
On each stop they seemed to find people who were fascinated by westerners and wanted to show their hospitality with the local foods, sometimes tasty and sometimes disgusting (like the flycakes on Lake Malawi) or by showing them around. So not only did we get an idea of what it would be like to kayak in those areas, but also an idea of what the local people might be like and how they live.
The thing that I liked best was their keen eye for the small details which make up the differences in the world's many cultures and regions. Coffey was good at creating very clear descriptions in just a few lines, so the book is packed with interesting details and is hard to put down. I really felt like I was there.
This may be out of print, but it is well worth purchasing. This book is definitely among the stars in the travel literature genre, and I don't know why it didn't get more attention in the US when it was published in '95 - it certainly deserves it.
Very weak, not the kayak adventure that the title suggests........2002-04-21
The title of this book would suggest that the reader is set to read about a kayaking adventure.
Indeed, I purchased this book to read about a kayaking adventure but unfortunately the actual kayaking is only mentioned a couple of times in the book but not in any detail.
The apparent subject matter of the text is the story of a couple of middle-class wannabe hippies, Maria Coffey and Dag Goering, travelling (or more truthfully, scrounging) around a few different parts of the world.
It is certainly not a self-sufficient adventure as the couple seem to spend almost every night either living aboard a luxury yacht, staying in accomodation provided by the locals and even staying in the lap of luxury with the Governor of Hong Kong.
The bulk of the book is taken up with the couples time in India but basically could be summerised into a brief paragraph reading, "we pulled into the village, we met the local Holy man, we smoked copious quantities of dope, the locals cooked us a meal and then we stayed in one of their houses" which is what is basically repeated over and over.
There is absolutley no sense of adventure anywhere in this book and unfortunately, Coffey's writing is extremely dull and tedious, not to mention very repetitive.
The only time that any human interest crops up is in the brief mention of the couples time in Ireland when they run across a few local "characters" but yet again they do not do any kayaking.
Mention must also be made of Coffey's boyfriend, Dag Goering, who is constantly credited with being a "photographer" but unfortunately the few low quality "snaps" that are featured in the book would certainly suggest otherwise.
If you are looking for a documented kayak adventure (or indeed any adventure) you should be looking elsewhere.
Give this one a miss!
What an adventure!.......1997-11-21
I've never before read a 'travel' book and eventually picked this one up and couldn't put it down...even after I had finished reading it! Maria kept an honest and immaculate diary of their journey around the world in a collapsible, double kayak. Their courage is commendable as is their sense of adventure. Excellent recounting of a treasured journey.
Average customer rating:
- Zero stars not available....
- A communist movement insider's perspective
- revolutionary fighters look to their roots
- Back to Lenin
- A guide to a revolutionary future
|
Their Trotsky and Ours
Jack Barnes
Manufacturer: Pathfinder
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Japan
| Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Russia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Communism & Socialism
| Ideologies
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Political Parties
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0873489551 |
Book Description
"History has shown that small revolutionary organizations will face not only the stern test of wars and repression, but also potentially shattering opportunities that emerge unexpectedly when strikes and social struggles explode. As that happens, communist parties not only recruit. They also fuse with other workers organizations and grow into mass proletarian parties contesting to lead workers and farmers to power. This assumes that well beforehand their cadres have absorbed a world communist program and strategy, are proletarian in life and work, derive deep satisfaction from having fun doing politics, and have forged a leadership with an acute sense of what to do next. Their Trotsky and Ours is about building such a party."
Also available in: French
Customer Reviews:
Zero stars not available...........2006-12-29
... or that's what I would have given this warmed-over foolishness! Imagine reprinting an article every 20 years, and passing it off as a contribution to Marxist theory?! And for whoever stumbles upon these reviews, you should know that all those 5-star reviews are from members of the bizarre group led by Dr. Barnes.
A communist movement insider's perspective.......2003-10-14
Knowledgeably written by Jack Barnes (National Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party since 1972), Their Trotsky And Ours is a manifesto about what it takes to bring workers, farmers, and ordinary citizens together for the implementation of political change. A communist movement insider's perspective on the lessons of the Russian Revolution, the challenges that face living revolutions today, the intricacies of Marxism and Bolshevism, and much more, Their Trotsky And Ours is a carefully written accounting of the groundwork needed for human cooperation to achieve grander mass ideals.
revolutionary fighters look to their roots.......2002-10-27
In an age when revolutionaries come from different family trees, how do you look at the legendary Leon Trotsky, and his theory of "permanent revolution," that colonial countries can move directly from capitalist governments to workers governments? Jack Barnes, Socialist Workers Party national secretary, examines this issue in an article based on a 1982 speech.
Back to Lenin.......2002-10-21
Their Trotsky And Our, by Jack Barnes, is a timely reprint twenty years after it was first published. Based on a talk before 1000 working class fighters from the United States and around the world, this talk was earth shattering for those who looked mainly to Leon Trotsky. It reclaimed the political perspective and the strategic centrality of the worker and farmer alliance in the fight to defeat capitalism. And it re-knit ties with Bolshevism and the Communist International in Lenin's time. This enhanced rapprochement with genuine communists of the day: the Cubans and other serious fighters world wide.
As James P. Cannon, a founder of the U.S Communist Party, a delegate to two congresses of the Communist International and later a founder and a central leader of the Socialist Workers Party and the Fourth International said : "It is not a new movement, a new doctrine, but the restoration, the revival of genuine Marxism as it was practiced in the Russian Revolution and in the early days of the Communist International." Thus "Their Trotsky and Ours" places Trotsky where he belongs in history as the twentieth century's greatest Marxist-Leninist, second only to Lenin.
A guide to a revolutionary future.......2002-09-21
This document is a summation of the lessons of history of revolution. In its way it is in line with the Communist Manifesto, with the fundamental documents of the Comintern, knitting together the history of world revolution, and of its Marxist vanguard in particular. This is not just about Trotsky and his contributions, butabout how the Cuban communists fit into the continuation of Leninism, of what lessons we can learn from the crushed revolutions in Grenada and Nicaragua and the revolution led by Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso.There is so much, how Lenin's understanding of the importance of reaching out to farmers is true today, how new currents of workers searching for communist answers will keep emerging as they did in Cuba. This book rejects the sectarianism that characterizes many who call themselves Trotskyists for the genuine Leninism that Trotsky was recruited to and fought to continue. It tells how Trotsky learned Leninism, and how Trotskyists have learned like Trotsky did, not to be Trotskyists, but to be communists. For many, this pamphlet will take them back to the founding documents of the Communists International. For others this will take you to the continuing revolutionary politics of Fidel and the other Cuban communists. If you are serious about changing the world, you need to read this, study this, and follow the links this important book takes you to revolutionists throughout history and around the world. Rather than looking back at history, this book willtake you forward to see where new revolutionists, new currents of revolutionists, new revolutions will come in the future.
Average customer rating:
|
Water: A Resource Our World Depends on (Heinemann Infosearch, Managing Our Resources)
Ian Graham
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Nonfiction
| Environment & Ecology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Environment
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1403456283 |
Average customer rating:
- Ocean Info for young readers
|
101 Facts About Oceans (101 Facts About Our World)
Julia Barnes
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0836837096 |
Customer Reviews:
Ocean Info for young readers.......2004-04-14
Starts out with a great map of the Oceans of the World that shows locations of gulfs, bays, seas, and trenches. Here is an example of an interesting fact presented. "Did you know that the water in the Persian Gulf could reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit?" There is a lot of information packed into this book's 32 colorful pages. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review
Average customer rating:
|
101 Facts About Rivers (101 Facts About Our World)
Julia Barnes
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Water
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0836837118 |
Books:
- Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War (Nation Divided: New Studies in Civil War History)
- Arguing About War (Yale Nota Bene)
- Atlas: The Ultimate Weapon by Those Who Built It (Apogee Books Space Series)
- Attacks: ROMMEL
- Aviation's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Winged Wonders, Lucky Landings, and Other Aerial Oddities (Most Wanted)
- Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
- Battleship Musashi: The Making and Sinking of the Worlds Biggest Battleship
- Beyond Baghdad: Postmodern War and Peace
- Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
- Carrying the Flag: The Story of Private Charles Whilden, the Confederacy's Most Unlikely Hero
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography
- The Lost Colony
- The Purloined Clinic: Selected Writings
- The Chronicles of Amber I and II: Nine Princes in Amber, the Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, th
- Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality And Spirituality
- The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography
- The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World
- For Everything There Is a Season: The Sequence of Natural Events in the Grand Teton-Yellowstone Area
- The Man Who Tried to Buy the World: Jean-Marie Messier and Vivendi Universal
- Ceropegia, Brachystelma and Riocreuxia in Southern Africa: With Illustrations