Book Description
Invariably, armies are accused of preparing to fight the previous war. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl—a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and the current conflict in Iraq—considers the now-crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both engagements, Nagl compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960 with what developed in the Vietnam War from 1950 to 1975.
In examining these two events, Nagl—the subject of a recent New York Times Magazine cover story by Peter Maass—argues that organizational culture is key to the ability to learn from unanticipated conditions, a variable which explains why the British army successfully conducted counterinsurgency in Malaya but why the American army failed to do so in Vietnam, treating the war instead as a conventional conflict. Nagl concludes that the British army, because of its role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics created by its history and national culture, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency.
With a new preface reflecting on the author's combat experience in Iraq, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is a timely examination of the lessons of previous counterinsurgency campaigns that will be hailed by both military leaders and interested civilians.
Customer Reviews:
COIN.......2007-09-27
Haven't read the book quite yet. I plan to get it done by the time I am to attend CCC though.
Terrific Research and Analysis!.......2007-09-05
For this reader, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife's value centers on two main premises: 1) those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them; and, 2) a large, monolithic organization such as the U.S. Army will struggle to adapt unless it adopts a learning culture. Both relate to the U.S. Army's experience in Viet Nam. It is clear that the U.S. Army has only recently begun to learn from its earlier failures fighting a stubborn insurgency in 2004-06 and to implement strategy and tactics appropriate to the situation.
Eminently readable for an Oxford PhD thesis, what sets Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife apart from many other books attempting to explain the failures in Viet Nam is the degree to which the author supports his arguments. He combines exceedingly thorough research befitting a PhD thesis with fully developed and clearly articulated arguments. By examining the British Army of the Malay Campaign and the U.S. Army fighting in Viet Nam in terms of their organizational cultures - that is, the degree to which they promoted learning, flexibility, and adaptability - the author does a superb job of explaining why the British were successful in defeating the communist insurgency on the Malay Peninsula and why the Americans failed in South Viet Nam.
Of course, Nagl has his detractors. There are those who would suggest that the conflict in Malaya in the 1950s differed markedly from the conflict in Viet Nam in the 1960s and early 1970s. For instance, the Viet Cong were able to leverage a well-funded, well-organized, and well-trained North Vietnamese army against the U.S. Army in South Viet Nam. By contrast, the British really only had to confront a communist insurgency in Malaya. However, those readers who point to the dissimilarities in the two conflicts are really missing Nagl's point.
The author's contention that the British Army eventually succeeded in defeating a thinking, adaptive enemy is instructive. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, we are told that for any institution to be successful when faced with new and decidedly different operational challenges, it must be capable of learning and adapting. This includes everything from changing strategy and tactics to completely reorganizing. In fact, it may even need to develop a whole new set of core competencies. In the context of armed warfare, this may mean viewing victory through a different lens. As members of the Bush Administration have readily pointed out, the war in Iraq will not end with a formal surrender aboard a U.S. battleship. More to the point perhaps, Nagl's work compels us to think differently about how we define success in a counterinsurgency.
For the U.S. Army currently operating in Iraq, adapting really means moving away from war fighting strategy and tactics appropriate to a linear battlefield and more toward an approach that better recognizes the nature of the threat. The current threat in Iraq is more socio-political than military. In fact, it is now an article of faith that for our counterinsurgency efforts to be successful, U.S. war fighters must win the hearts and minds of the local populace. If the local Iraqi citizens believe they are more secure and hence can live productive lives, they will be more willing to cooperate with the "occupying" Army. That cooperation will take the form of alerting nearby ground troops to the presence of Al Qaeda fighters and Sunni insurgents.
For any large military organization, adapting to an entirely different threat characterized by a highly complex and dynamic situation involving ethnosectarian conflict, religious persecution, and violent criminal activity such as we see in Iraq today requires tremendous innovation and agility. As Nagl points out, the British were able to eventually embrace change and pursue an effective counterinsurgency strategy while facing a similar set of conditions. He argues persuasively that British and Malay counterinsurgency forces eventually were structured to respond quickly to the communist insurgent threat precisely because they were quite flexible. In large part, the Brits' success can be traced to their approach to counterinsurgency warfare in that era - centralized command with decentralized control. This approach recognizes that the fight is really very different in each province and therefore strategy and tactics will need to be different to attain success.
As Nagl points out, to enjoy the kind of success the Brits had in Malaya, the U.S. Army "will have to make the ability to learn to deal with messy, uncomfortable situations an integral part" of its organizational culture. It must, per T.E. Lawrence, be comfortable "eating soup with a knife." Additionally, as a previous reviewer states quite clearly, "it must be ready to work with outside resources as well, such as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and various religious institutions."
Overall, Nagl offers terrific analysis. This work should be required reading for all officers of all branches of the U.S. military.
Counterinsurgency Mandatory Reading.......2007-07-21
Since the Iraq War effort collapsed into something other than a simple liberation of oppressed people, I have tried to gain insight into our problems there by studying books on Iraq's current situation, on US foreign relationships, ancient and recent Mesopotamian history, Israeli and Palestinian Middle East history, and historic counterinsurgency successes and failures in various parts of the World.
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is the most illuminating that I have encountered. Col. John A. Nagl very meticulously converts knowledge obtained in writing his Masters and Doctorate theses into a readable analysis of military success in Malaya and non-success in Vietnam.
You must read his preface to the paperback edition both before and after reading the book; this in fairness to our gallant folks serving in the Middle East. You must also abandon any hopes you may have for a blood-and-guts exposé of battleground behavior.
This is science, not sensationalism.
I wish that our military AND our civilian leaders had been able to study this book and to do serious, long-term advanced planning for Iraq based upon it. I am convinced that such luxury would have placed us in a vastly different position than our current one.
Counterinsurgency.......2007-07-03
This book is an excellent review of the successful British counterinsurgency war in Malaysia and the unsuccessful US counterinsurgency in Vietnam. The author draws the correct conclusion that it is necessary to win the support of the people. The author misses the important lesson that the British war cost Britain probably 100 dead vs. the Vietnam cost to the US of 50,000. The second lesson that the author should have learned is that it is critical to keep our casualties low. It is better to take a long time (like the British did - 12 years) that to suffer higher casualties.
Insightful Book for military buff.......2007-06-18
I bought a copy of this book for my boyfriend, serving in the US Army. He enjoys it, recommended it to his fellow officers.
Book Description
This book explores conditions, events, problems and trends of the Asian region and its individual nations. Using a cross disciplinary approach, the author discusses evolving physical and cultural landscapes. Nature-society relations will provide the foundation for social, economic, political and environmental problems.
Average customer rating:
- The SE asia bible!
- Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists.
- Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print.
- typical shoestring guide
- Lonely Planet SE Asia
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Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
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ASIN: 1741044448 |
Book Description
The original and the best, Lonely Planet's `yellow bible' is your ticket to endless adventure in Southeast Asia. Want nonstop parties in 24-hour cities? Feel like sunning your skin on a deserted, white-sand beach? Picture yourself having tea with a remote hilltribe? Written by backpackers for backpackers, this guide will help you stay longer, pay less and experience more.
DIVE UNDER THE COVERS on current events, history, culture and the environment.
EAT CHEAP AND SLEEP EASY with our fully updated coverage of the best eateries and great-value accommodation.
GET YOUR THRILLS - the best scuba diving, elephant-trekking, rock-climbing, sea kayaking and surfing.
TALK YOUR WAY IN with our handy language guide.
BEAT YOUR OWN PATH using over 170 detailed maps.
Customer Reviews:
The SE asia bible!.......2006-11-29
Used this book to travel in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Bali (though I finally ended up buying another book for Bali as Indonesia itself is huge). Don't know if there is a better book that covers so many countries this well. Other people on tour had the Rough guide to SE Asia book and we found this one to be more useful because it had better maps and more information.
Obviously a bit tailored towards backpackers but you can easily find more upscale places (hotels, restaurants etc) in the "splurge" section.
Wouldn't dare to say that it covers everything but certainly a must-have for people traveling in the area
Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists........2006-02-18
"Nobody touches the Lonely Planet for budget travel advice," states the back cover of this book.
I just finished travelling around Southeast Asia with this as my primary guidebook. It includes the basics for getting around, eating, etc... but it really is just the basics. I have used other books from the lonely planet series in the past, and have found them good enough to continue using, at least until this volume. It has been 5 years since I was in this region last, and things have changed. Especially the guidebook, which was once a rich trove of off-the-beaten-path hints and tips. Increasingly, however, it seems that the Lonely Planet authors seem less interested in helping you find a unique experience and more interested in serving up a cookie-cutter, package tourist rehash. I have a couple grievances with this book:
-It insists on constantly pointing out little sidebars entitled "Splurge!" which indicate ways that the budget traveller can spend a great deal of money in one shot. Why this is in a travel guide called "shoestring" I couldn't tell you. Neither do the authors, but I suppose we can assume that backpackers are interested in spending $5 a night for a couple of months and then blowing $150 to stay in some posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur or racking up an additional $20 in credit card debt for an entirely forgettable dining experience in Bangkok. I just don't feel these are relevant to 99% of actual budget travellers, but they waste a lot of space that could be much better used on greater detail. But I will get to that in a minute.
-Another issue I have is the lack of actual information about actually moving from one place to the next cheaply. Cheap local transport is available in many of the places covered in the book. For some reason though, the book usually offers helpful advice like 'just take a cab,' or 'buses are so cheap, so don't bother with local transport.' As an independent traveler that actually enjoys saving money AND spending time with the locals (what's the purpose of traveling again?!?!), I regret the lack of information about local transport.
-The maps in the book, though better than some in past editions, leave much to be desired. Streets are incorrectly labeled or in the wrong place, intersections are vaguely marked, and occasionally they add a street that doesn't exist or remove a street that does. Worst of all, in a region that prides itself on an almost complete lack of road signage, not many good landmarks are given to orient oneself. There is little that is less fun on the road than standing in front of a train station, staring at one's new alien surroundings, being hassled by touts who are trying to steer you in the wrong direction while trying to find that cheap hostel you read about.
Look, if you want a run-of-the-mill book to complete a run-of-the-mill trip, by all means, you will find this book quite helpful. But if you are looking for that individual experience that is the beauty of independent travel, you might be best going with a different guide for this region.
By the way, the quote I wrote at the beginning should be viewed as a warning rather than an enticement
Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print........2006-01-28
I really like the Lonely Planet guides, and this one is very good regarding the amount of information it contains. My main complaint is the size of the type. Not only is it very small and difficult to read even with glasses on, but the paper is very thin so the words from the reverse page show through. I'd rather pay a couple of extra dollars and have higher quality paper. I also agree with other reviewers who felt that the Indonesia chapter could easily be eliminated, partly because it is difficult to due justice to that widespread country in a chapter.
typical shoestring guide.......2005-08-25
This guide is really good value, although you notice easily that it covers a lot of countries. South East Asia is big, the book is limited in size and therefore detail is missing. I bought seperate guides for Laos and Cambodia and this benifited my trip greatly.
Also, the part about Bangkok doesn't show the best bits and doesn't quite warn you for the worst(sex tourism), either.
Lonely Planet SE Asia.......2005-08-15
This is another great issue from the dedicated researchers, writers and readers of the practical and economic guides for world travelers. The SE Asia book is written with particular care, insight, and affection. In addition to a wealth of information on the countries of SE Asia, the guide offers some of the best practical advice for living, traveling, and surviving in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and other countries I did not visit and thus cannot speak to. It was just as good as any of their guides to China or India I that I have used in the past.
Amazon.com
The Mekong region, which extends south from China through Laos and Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam, offers extraordinary food. Hot Sour Salty Sweet, which takes its name from the principal taste sensations of the region's cooking, provides an unparalleled culinary journey through this fertile land. Though the book contains a wealth of anecdotal material, its great strength lies in its 175 recipes, explicit formulas for the likes of Shrimp in Hot Lime Leaf Broth, Lao Yellow Rice and Duck, and Hui Beef Stew with Chick Peas and Anise. The breadth and substance of this authentic yet approachable collection is truly exciting; readers who cook from the book (not difficult to do once ingredients are assembled and techniques understood), as well as those searching for the best kind of armchair travel, will be delighted.
Beginning with a discussion of the Mekong region, its people (a complicated mix, among them the Kai, Akha, and Cham), and their characteristic foods, the book then provides recipes organized by ingredients, dish types, and topics such as "Everyday Dependable," "One-Dish Meals," "Kids Like It," and "Vegetarian Options." This latter style of division helps define and "domesticate" a vast array of cooking, often enjoyed at times and places foreign to Westerners. Chapters devoted to such sweets as Tapioca and Corn Pudding with Coconut Cream, grilled specialties, and fare for adventurous cooks, such as Aromatic Steamed Fish Curry (more painstaking technically, though not truly difficult) further widen the book's scope. Illustrated throughout with 150 color photos and containing a comprehensive ingredient glossary, the book is a definitive point of entry to a mostly unexplored culinary port of call. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Luminous at dawn and dusk, the Mekong is a river road, a vibrant artery that defines a vast and fascinating region. Here, along the world's tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traditions mingle and exquisite food prevails.
Award-winning authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid followed the river south, as it flows through the mountain gorges of southern China, to Burma and into Laos and Thailand. For a while the right bank of the river is in Thailand, but then it becomes solely Lao on its way to Cambodia. Only after three thousand miles does it finally enter Vietnam and then the South China Sea.
It was during their travels that Alford and Duguid—who ate traditional foods in villages and small towns and learned techniques and ingredients from cooks and market vendors—came to realize that the local cuisines, like those of the Mediterranean, share a distinctive culinary approach: Each cuisine balances, with grace and style, the regional flavor quartet of hot, sour, salty, and sweet. This book, aptly titled, is the result of their journeys.
Like Alford and Duguid's two previous works, Flatbreads and Flavors ("a certifiable publishing event" —Vogue) and Seductions of Rice ("simply stunning"—The New York Times), this book is a glorious combination of travel and taste, presenting enticing recipes in "an odyssey rich in travel anecdote" (National Geographic Traveler).
The book's more than 175 recipes for spicy salsas, welcoming soups, grilled meat salads, and exotic desserts are accompanied by evocative stories about places and people. The recipes and stories are gorgeously illustrated throughout with more than 150 full-color food and travel photographs.
In each chapter, from Salsas to Street Foods, Noodles to Desserts, dishes from different cuisines within the region appear side by side: A hearty Lao chicken soup is next to a Vietnamese ginger-chicken soup; a Thai vegetable stir-fry comes after spicy stir-fried potatoes from southwest China.
The book invites a flexible approach to cooking and eating, for dishes from different places can be happily served and eaten together: Thai Grilled Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce pairs beautifully with Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad and Lao sticky rice.
North Americans have come to love Southeast Asian food for its bright, fresh flavors. But beyond the dishes themselves, one of the most attractive aspects of Southeast Asian food is the life that surrounds it. In Southeast Asia, people eat for joy. The palate is wildly eclectic, proudly unrestrained. In Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, at last this great culinary region is celebrated with all the passion, color, and life that it deserves.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful.......2006-08-17
This was given to me by a good friend. I love to cook, and over the years have struggled with South East asian, Thai in particular, cooking. But this book lays it all out in such a way, and has such clear instructions that, in combination with an asian grocery store, it is foolproof. As a bonus, the travelogues and side bars are wonderfully interesting. Even if you don't cook, you will be taken away on a wonderful culinary journey through the region.
Some issues with book.......2006-07-12
Pondering on whether to return book or not. Purchased for Cambodian recipes, having a hard time finding a Cambodian cookbook, this was the best bet = and it does have dishes for things we ate like Khmer soup, pumpkin curry and a similar version to Amok. (oddly i have the amok recipe in my New York Cookbook, a favorite standby)
But as an avid photographer and traveler and cookbook collector, i have to say the travel writing is amateurish, the photos are not great (a mini picture of Angkor wat and i don't think i saw many pictures of places i'd been to in thailand or vietnam - just street scenes - what kind of travelogue is this?) and never seem to match the right page (you would think there would be a photo of what you are reading about next to it) and the pictures of dishes are far and few between. For the huge irregular book format of the book there are not that many recipes. Compare for example "the Cook's Book" for the same heft has 685 recipes.. Compare with Nobu Now for the difference in food photography capability..
if many of these reviews didn't say the recipes are good they are part of daily repetoire, i'm tempted to return. it really is way to big for the content inside.
Very Good Coffee Table Book. Good recipes, but expensive.......2005-12-31
`Hot Sour Salty Sweet' by husband and wife team, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is a troublesome book to evaluate. Its biggest problem is its relatively high list price ($45) for no more than average culinary content. Much of that inflated price is based on its oversized heft and the fact that it mixes cooking content with comments on culinary regionalism and pure travelogue in text and pictures.
I confess that this is a very attractive book, very similar in appearance to their later volume, `Home Baking' that I enjoyed and very favorably reviewed. And, since the authors have just come out with a new book with similar heft, price, and subject, I figured it was time to attend to reviewing this volume.
Aside from the price, I have one major problem with this book. While its focus is the culinary world of Southeast Asia, the text is far more anecdotal and personal than it is analytical. After reviewing many excellent books on the regional cooking of France, Italy, and other parts of the Mediterranean, I really find this book very thin on substance. Part of the problem for me may be that it tries to cover far too great an area. In 324 pages of material, they cover Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Yunnan Province of China. Thailand alone has required a 675 page book (`Thai Food') from David Thompson. And, on the ingredients of Asia, you can get a far more comprehensive coverage in Bruce Cost's classic `Asian Ingredients'.
In contrast, the books on Italy's regions all include great insights on the origins of culinary mores in these relatively small venues. And, while Arthur Schwartz' book on Naples may include 50 detailed recipes for pasta in Campania, this book gives but 10 for a much larger region. On the other hand, I give the authors extra credit for providing a recipe for fresh, homemade rice noodles. You may have a bit of a problem wrangling this big book around your kitchen and making a decent photocopy of the oversized page, but it is still a good recipe.
If you have no interest whatsoever in acquiring any OTHER books on Southeast Asian cuisine and you have the budget for it, this is a very nice book. I just think that if you are serious about learning about food, you look for books with greater depth and less fluff.
I find it very interesting that none of the blurbs on the back of the book refer to this volume and none are from culinary notables. All refer to the authors' earlier book on flatbreads and most come from general publications such as `The New York Times' and `The Globe and Mail'.
I can really appreciate all the nice things other reviewers have said about this book, as I was impressed with it when I first looked at it 300 cookbook recipes ago. Since then, I find it just a bit too light for the price.
Recommended as a good coffee table book. Look for it at a steep discount!
This literary and culinary triumph is a ticket to SE Asia........2005-06-20
Of the dozen cookbooks I own, this remains my favorite. Mr. Alfrod and Mrs. Duguid bring the sights, sounds and smells of the Mekong river alive with excellent prose, assisted by photos from their travels. I have made about half the recipes in this book, and they are excellent. As the authors mention, their children love it, and I can believe it. Some ingredients and techniques are unusual, but the detailed instructions and indexes make it easy to get into SE Asian cooking. Some days I end up reading a few dozen pages when a just meant to pick a simple recipe. It is as delicious to enjoy in the study as in the dinning room!
Like Southeast Asian Food? Get this book!.......2005-06-18
I have been cooking food from Southeast Asia for over 15 years, so I have quite a cookbook collection. I must say that this is one of the best books on the subject that I own. They got it right in the title: hot, sour, salty, sweet---the combination of flavors used all over Southeast Asia. Great information for beginner or seasoned cook. And, wonderful, authentic recipes to boo! A must have for anyone interested in cooking food from this area of the world. ---Rev. Jeff, www.revjeff.com
Book Description
"This incredible story, which plunges us immediately into the bloodiest aspects of the war, is also a suspenseful autobiography that will keep you chewing your fingernails to see if Van Devanter survives any of it at all. She proves herself a natural storyteller. . . . The most extraordinary part in this book is Van Devanter's plight after the war-her attempt to retrieve the love of her family, only to realize they don't want to see her slides, hear her stories; her assignment to menial duties at Walter Reed Army Hospital. . . . How Van Devanter survives all of this to become, incredibly, a stronger person for it is what makes her book so riveting."-San Francisco Chronicle
"An awesome, painfully honest look at war through a woman's eyes. Her letters home and startling images of life in a combat zone-surgeons fighting to save a Vietnamese baby wounded in utero, the ever-present stench of napalm-charred flesh, a beloved priest's gentle humor and appalling death, the casual heroism of her colleagues, a Vietnamese 'Papa-san' trying to talk his dead child back to life, a haunting snapshot dropped by a dying soldier with no face-tell the story of a young American's rude initiation to the best and the worst of humanity."-Washington Post
"Moving, powerful . . . a healing book."-Ms. Magazine
"This book reads like a diary: unguarded, heartfelt. . . . [It] is both moving and valu-able, for reminding us so vividly that war is indeed hell . . . and that its most tested heroes are the doctors and nurses who doggedly labor not just to save life, but also to keep their respect for it, even as their surviving patients are sent out, once more, unto the breach."-Harper's Magazine
"In Vietnam, reality hit fast: Van Devanter's plane was fired on when it landed in Saigon; and after three days of adjustment, she was assigned to the 71st Evacuation Hospital, a 'MASH-type facility' near the Cambodian border. There, the casualties, . . . the personal danger, the fatigue, the heat, rain, and mud, the harassment of officers enforcing petty regulations, and above all the meaninglessness of American involvement rapidly put an end to Van Devanter's blind patriotism, her innocence, and her youth. . . . Van Devanter brings us face to face with the toll that undeclared war took on its combatants."-Kirkus Reviews
"If you read only one work about Vietnam, make this the one. . . . This is the way it was, as seen through the eyes of an army second lieutenant when she was twenty-two. I believe her completely, because this reviewer remembers Vietnam the same way, when he was a nineteen-year-old Marine PFC."-Deseret Sentinel
Customer Reviews:
Sex, lies and surgical tape...30+ years later.......2007-08-07
Based on my personal observations, Lynda was the laughing stock of the 71st Evac Hospital. And, she was also almost universally disliked. You had to tolerate her. But, you didn't have to like her. I heard alot from her other "friends" there in 1971. And, I was unfortunate enough to have to spend an afternoon, sitting in a jeep in downtown Pleiku, while she and a friend were wined and dined, so I observed her interactions firsthand. She was laughed at constantly because she was always trying to get out of doing something. But, that was Vietnam's fault. Not hers.
The book is not even good fiction. About 95% of the happenings she claimed never occurred. If they occurred they occurred to someone else, someplace else. The majority of the book is nothing but flights of fancy from a woman that wouldn't know the truth if it bit her. Every problem she ever had, since 1969, was blamed on Vietnam, the people she worked with, the war, the weather, whatever. Not one time in her book did she ever take responsibility for her actions and the repercussions she got from bad decisions.
My review of this book is not as fluent as others. But, my statements are based on personal experience with the subject matter of her and this book firsthand. I was there, I know.
Home Before Morning.......2007-05-18
I read this book for the first time many years ago now and it touched a cord in me simply at the time I was going thru something similar myself being discharged from the military and finding that you really have no place in the world. I never experienced anything like she did and how she overcame all her obstacles only attests to the strength of the person she became because of it. I believe she has passed on now due to exposure of agent organge while serving our country. I always try to make people see just what sacrifices that our fighting men and women go thru to keep us free that we never even hear about except very rarely in such books as this one. "They" don't want this kind of information coming out to let us know just what has really gone on. This continues to be one of my favorite books and I generally wind up reading it a few times a year. It's one book that will never be let go. It is well worth reading and I guarantee you it will make you think and be appreciative of the little things that we all take for granted.
honest look into the time and culture of the Vietnam War.......2007-01-20
Lynda was a U.S. Army nurse at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku from 1969-70. In 1979, a year after the founding of Vietnam Veterans of America, she helped launch and became the head of VVA's Women's Project. She also began counseling other Vietnam veterans and conducting seminars around the country. Lynda was among the first few who committed herself to helping herself and others recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following Vietnam. I knew Lynda personally for many years. It took me a few years to get around to reading this book and when I did I wished I had read it earlier as it provided me a lot of insight into what ordinary men and women were thinking and feeling as they found their lives involved in the quagmire called Vietnam and the impact that it had upon them for the remainder of their lives. Honest, sad, vivid. Lynda passed away in 2002.
Life Changing.......2006-06-11
Growing up in the generation just past the edge of the Vietnam War era, I never really understood the war or the veterans. As a nurse, I started reading this book for the "nursing story." By the end of the book, I had a whole new view on the war, nurses in the war, veterans, the pain of war and the aftermath. I am appalled at the treatment, such as being spit on when our troops returned. It literally was life altering in my thought process of this era. Soon after reading it, a Vietnam vet. accompanied his wife for a procedure in the unit I worked. He openly told me that he had been sober for 2 months, and I was able to look at him in a whole new light and sincerely tell him how great that was. Another reminder that we have no right to judge others.
Fact or Fiction??.......2006-04-15
Ms. Van Devanter passed away in 2002. She, along with all who served in Vietnam, deserve our respect and appreciation for the sacrifices which they made in a very difficult and unpopular war.
I read this book and was deeply moved. However, just after I read the book I found a website dedicated to the memory of the 71st evac hospital near Pleiku where Ms. Van Devanter served. The author of the website served side by side with Ms. Van Devanter during her tour in Vietnam. I asked him what his thoughts were on the book. Here is his reply:
"Let me just say it like this: "Home Before Morning" is a wonderful blend of facts and exaggerated facts, designed to entertain and promote a certain agenda.....was that diplomatic enough?? I was fortunate enough to visit with Van (her nickname) while she was on a book tour that included my hometown. We had a great visit and she gave me a copy and wrote some nice things on the coverleaf. I took it home and read it that night, then had lunch with her the following day. She, of course, wanted to know what I thought of it. I asked her where she'd served, as it was obviously not at the 71st. We both laughed about that and she admitted that she wanted to sell books.
Van and I arrived at the 71st within days of each other and worked together every day until she was transferred out. She was an officer and I was an enlisted man, so we lived in different worlds, though working together 12 hours a day. Since we worked together, we sometimes hung out with the same gang...the OR/ER/Post-OP/X-ray bunch. After a few months of patching up GIs, NVA, civilians, etc., we both got disenchanted with the way the war was going and became politically active and were among the ringleaders of the "Great Turkey Day Fast" of Thanksgiving Day, 1969...consisting of refusal to eat Thanksgiving Dinner to protest the manner in which the war was being fought.
The case that she identifies as Gene was actually one that I scrubbed on. It's among the stories I have listed on the site. It was pretty gruesome and must have touched a nerve in her. Each of us who served there has at least one case that we think about every day.
Lest you believe that the war was as Van described it...it wasn't! There were lots of times when we had NO cases at all and a few very scary times when we had many more cases than we could handle. As in most military situations, it was 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror! 99% of the time we were operating on 1% of our brain power and 1% of the time we needed 150%!! Sometimes it was really wild! I think there's a story about "Push" that describes it..if not, I'll have to write it down."
You be the judge.
Average customer rating:
- Pocket Perfect
- Great
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- Excellent!
- SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE !!!
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Thai: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Bruce Evans , and
Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
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Lonely Planet Thailand
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Lonely Planet Thailand
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Lonely Planet Thailand's Islands & Beaches
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Thai for Beginners
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Thai-English English-Thai Dictionary for Non-Thai Speakers, Revised Edition (Dictionary) (Dictionary)
ASIN: 174059231X |
Book Description
Thailand is the Land of Smiles. A grin shows companionship. A laugh shows forgiveness. But what if you need a second-class train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Keep smiling - this phrasebook will show you the way.
DID YOU KNOW?
When people talk about the Thai language they are really referring to a Central Thai dialect that has succeeded in becoming the standard official language for the whole country. For this reason Thai is only spoken as a first language in the central provinces of the nation. As Thai is the official language of education, government and media it's basically understood from North to South although recent estimates suggest that less than half the population of Thailand speak and understand Thai fluently.
Customer Reviews:
Pocket Perfect.......2007-05-13
This is an excellent phrase book, easy to carry, easy to read and broken into easy to find section. Combined with a short language program this book carried me across Thailand comfortably. I mentione the language program because the pronunciation is a bit tricky to break down phonetically, altho Lonely Planet does a great job of it. I have used lonely planet phrase books for all of Asia and Northern Africa, but I must admit I use Rick Steve's phrase books for European travel. Lonely Planet Guide Books are also very good, especially for the bargain traveler.
Great.......2007-04-10
This book has several great features.
-It is small and easy to fit in a pocket, bag etc.
-It has the words written out in thai. Without hearing and practicing pronunciation I find it very hard to get the tones and accent right. When people give me a blank look I can just point. VERY helpful. Especially considering that Thai words written in the roman alphabet make no sense to Thai people.
-It covers all sorts of situations. Basic travel needs like getting around, buying things, to dealing with medical problems, and even to pick-up lines
-some of the situations are so absurd (in that the average person would know a lot more thai or be dealing with an english speaker before that would happen) that it makes a great conversation piece hanging around the hostel. "Oh, yeah, well I know how to say 'don't worry, it happens to lots of guys. Beat that!'
If you're not looking to actually learn thai, but just want some help getting around and trying not to be the Ugly American, then I recommend this book.
easy to use.......2007-03-31
I bought this book because it's small and you can carry it with you on your trips. it's easy to use and understand as well. great book if you're just vacationing and want to learn enough to get around the country.
Excellent!.......2007-03-28
The best part about this book is the pronunciation guide. Thai can be tricky with all the tones, this book made it very simple to understand. If anything the sex and drug sections can just be for entertainment. I tried out these phrases just for fun, never seriously used them. Good for a laugh. Several Thai people have asked me to send them a copy.
SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE !!!.......2006-10-02
This book has a section called "What's your poison" which gives translations for several illegal drugs. It also describes how to ask for a clean syringe. Drugs are illegal in Thailand, but this book helps to promote their use by providing these translations.
Average customer rating:
- Angkor Wat
- Photobook Angkor
- Outstanding Photos and history
- Awesome Angkor
- A Must-Have Book on Angkor Temples
|
Angkor: Celestial Temples of the Khmer
Jon Ortner ,
Ian W. Mabbett ,
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Ian Mabbett ,
Eleanor Mannikka , and
John Sanday
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Similar Items:
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Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
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The Civilization of Angkor
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Churning the Sea of Time: A Journey Up the Mekong to Angkor
-
Sacred Angkor: The Carved Reliefs of Angkor Wat
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Angkor Cities and Temples
ASIN: 0789207184 |
Book Description
An exquisitely illustrated history and exploration of Angkor, the world's most astonishing architectural treasure.
Built between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries by a succession of twelve Khmer kings, Angkor spreads over 120 square miles in Southeast Asia and includes scores of major architectural sites. In 802, when construction began on Angkor Wat, with wealth from rice and trade, Jayavarman ll took the throne, initiating an unparalleled period of artistic and architectural achievement, exemplified in the fabled ruins of Angkor, center of the ancient empire. Among the amazing pyramid and mandala shaped shrines preserved in the jungles of Cambodia, is Angkor Wat, the world's largest temple, an extraordinarily complex structure filled with iconographic detail and religious symbolism. Perhaps because of the decline of agricultural productivity and the expansion of the Thai Empire, Angkor was abandoned in the fifteenth century and left to the ravages of time. Today, many countries continue efforts to conserve and restore the temples, which have been inaccessible until recently. Now that the civil war has ended, Angkor is being reborn and is an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Undaunted by the difficulties of traveling through Cambodia and eastern Thailand, Jon Ortner, accompanied by his wife Martha, has photographed fifty of the most important and unique monuments of the Khmer Empire. His images include spectacular views from the rooftops of its temples, glorious landscapes, and details of inscriptions and art that few have ever seen.
The text by a team of distinguished experts provides historical, architectural, and religious analyses of Angkor and the Khmer civilization. The Appendix offers a glossary, a chronology of construction, and a chart of the kings and their accomplishments. Black-and-white floor plans and historic watercolors complete this breathtaking tribute.
Other details: 240 illustrations, 225 in full color
Customer Reviews:
Angkor Wat .......2007-09-06
Excellent book! I wish I had known about this book before I went to Angkor Wat.
Photobook Angkor.......2007-06-07
Angkor, Celestial temples of the Khmer Empire is a photobook limited to the Angkor Site and some outlining temples. Although the quality of the photo's is excellent, the book itself with regards to the informative value is disappointing. An exception to this is the chronology of sites. Angkor: Temples et monumentsThe Treasures of Angkor: Cultural Travel Guide (Rizzoli Art Guide)Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)Ancient Angkor (River Book Guides)Angkor Cities and Temples
Outstanding Photos and history.......2006-03-09
I purchased three books on Angkor Wat after my week visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia and this book was by far the best I have seen. The photos are excellent and the narration in very informative. It is expensive but worth it.
Awesome Angkor.......2005-04-09
Wow, what a spectacular book, truly amazing. I was blown away by the quality of the photography, the reader actually feels like they are in the jungle amid the ruins of Angkor. I have never visited Angkor Wat and probably never will, but after experiencing this book, I feel somehow that I have been there. The quality of the book is superior and the book even comes in a wonderful case. The publisher should be congradulated, it's a luxurious book. Some books are extremely expensive and you wonder why, I can assure you, you will not ask that about this one. If you have any interest in this subject or just like to own beautiful things I urge you to purchase this book, it will be a jewel in your book collection
A Must-Have Book on Angkor Temples.......2004-02-02
Through his magical photographic eye, Jon Ortner has created a wondrous collection of striking images and scholarly prose. His perfectly lit photographs and well-documented historic descriptions allow one to easily understand this complicated ancient subject. Each temple is clearly organized into relevant sections from the central Angkor area to the rare and never-before-seen temples in the outer lying areas. If you have visited Angkor - Ortner's book is the perfect addition to your library. Or, if you have not visited, this book provides the perfect impetus.
Amazon.com
Southeast Asian Specialties starts with a map, a proverb ("other fields, other insects; other seas, other fish"), and a photo of whole, bronzed, barbecued chickens suspended in a shop window. The image is so vivid you can taste the salty crackle of their crisp, lacquered skin. From here, this encyclopedic book, crammed with information, unforgettable photos, and more than 200 recipes, takes you on a vivid journey through Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The chapter on each of these places opens with a brief overview of the local culture and history. This is followed by a procession of spreads, each devoted to a single subject. Cumulatively, this provides a comprehensive experience of the area's rich culinary life.
Since the Chinese are a major influence throughout Southeast Asia, you learn about the health-promoting principles of balance and about ingredients with medicinal benefits that are commonly used in home cooking. The "Dim Sum" section, like many others in the book, shows a dozen or more dishes, with captions providing detailed information. Often names are given in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and the Latin name is provided for anything that grows, from water spinach to various mushrooms. To deepen your understanding of local ingredients, you see how fresh beans become bean sprouts, how tofu and tempeh, indigenous to Indonesia, are made, and how shiitake mushrooms are grown. Equipment is described, with such details as how to season a new earthenware cooking pot.
Daring cooks can enjoy recipes for spicy Malaysian Fish Head Curry and succulent, silken Hainanese Poached Chicken. Those with access to an Asian market can try the recipe for Kuak Durian, a sauce made with the infamous fruit Southeast Asians adore, despite its revolting fragrance. On a simpler note you can make a Eurasian omelet, filled with fresh red chile peppers and onions. Whether or not you use its recipes, if you enjoy Asian food, this book is valuable and enlightening. --Dana Jacobi
Customer Reviews:
THE cookbook for SE Asian cooking.......2007-09-22
It just received a new reprint this year (07). Technically, I wouldn't call it a true cookbook. You aren't going to find glossy Jamie Oliver-ish recipes in them. But if you ever wonder what the heck is Singaporean-Malaysian-Indonesian cooking all about - this is a great AUTHENTIC guide and reference. No catering to western palettes; no pandering to external tastes preferences. Discover indigenous tastes; get to know unique ingredients; understand the culinary delights of this region.
ASIAN SPECIALTIES.......2007-01-12
I LOVE THE CULINARIA BOOKS. THIS ONE DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME! THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD WISH MORE OF FROM THIS BOOK IS THAT IT BE BIGGER. IT'S QUITE SMALL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES, OTHER THAN HUNGARY,BUT JUST AS GOOD ALL THE SAME. VERY BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FOOD, PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRIES MENTIONED. NOT ONLY IS IT A COOKBOOK, IT'S ALSO A SMALL ENCYCLOPEDIA ABOUT THE FOOD DISCUSSED FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE SERIOUS ABOUT ASIAN FOOD AND WITH DEEP POCKETS. IT'S HARD TO FIND THIS BOOK FOR UNDER $90 ANYWHERE. TRY EBAY IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT HERE!
One of my favourite cookbooks!.......2000-07-23
When I got this for Christmas, 1999, I thought it was interesting...but more of a coffe table book than an actual working cookbook. And to some degree I was right: the print is rather small, making it hard to use in the kitchen, the recipes are the bare minimum and assume you absolutely know what you are doing, and the book is more photos of scenery than photos of dishes. But some of the recipes intrigued me, so I gave it a shot...and wow! I have not made a thing in here I didn't like. The Indonesian stuffed squid in spicy sauce ("cumi-cumi isi") is fabulous, and the Malaysian mutton in soy sauce with onions and tomatoes ("kambing kecup") is now a standard of mine -- I make it whenever I have some meat (I use any kind, including fish) and I can't be bothered to be ingenious! Another thing that makes me very fond of this book is the photos of ingredients, like galangal and kaffir limes leaves and candlenuts, with the names of things in several Asian languages, which I have found indispensible.
A Journey for the tastebuds!.......2000-03-28
After having spent 6 months in Hong Kong and enjoying the regional cuisine of Southeast Asia, I was hungering for an authentic book on the subject. I have found it through Culinaria. I have since purchased the other editions in the series. The photography is stunning and the recipes are quite authentic and varied. I have never disappointed a guest using these recipes. A must read!
south-east asian eating delights.......2000-03-28
This book is one of the best south-east asian cookbooks I've ever seen. There are plenty of pictures to show you what each dish should look like and there is an index of all the different ingredients you will have to find. The directions are easy to follow and the recipes that I've tried are wonderful. Just like being back in Malaysia. Even my mother has bought the book and she's Malaysian and a great cook! This book is also just a great book to learn about the different culture in south-east asia, but turning the pages will make your mouth water. Great recipes like penang laksa, assam chicken and rojak will make any meal authentic and delicious.
Book Description
Find your own way in Korea's buzzing capital, with Lonely Planet's guide to Seoul. Discover the culture; savour the cuisine; and take your pick of palaces and museums, markets and malls, cafes, bars and clubs. Packed with insider tips, straight-up reviews, comprehensive cultural and historical information, Korean script throughout, grid-referenced maps.
ELIMINATING THE GUESSWORK - opinionated hotel reviews make the decisions easy.
SHOP YOUR SOCKS OFF reviews and tips take you to the city's best traditional markets, glitzy malls, boutiques and galleries.
DISCOVER the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) - we take you on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the formidable and fascinating North-South border.
FEAST LIKE A KING - eating reviews serve up the city's finest Korean fare, from spicy tofu and barbeque to Korean fusion and Hanjeongsik banquets.
Customer Reviews:
Stay Away........2007-10-16
After reading the negatives reviews for this book, I went to B&N to judge for myself. Conclusion, stay away. That is all that I have to say....I can't really add upon the negative comments herein, yet that they are indeed valid.
That's all.
buy this as the last resort.......2007-09-16
Lonely Planet's guides are getting worse to worst, especially for Asia. I wish they would stop employing solely former English teachers as writers, since alot of them dont know the local language very well or at all. Hello LP, ever thought of asking a Korean American/Australian/Canadian to write for your Korea guide? There are people in the world who are truly bilingual, binational. . . . and would be able to 'guide' better than a foreigner guiding other foreigners.
I bought the Seoul book because unfortunately there weren't many options out there for English speakers, but actually the Tourist offices in Seoul has better information and it's free.
The maps in the book are confusing; when you are on the streets looking for places there are street names but on the map there are not. It would help to if LP would include the places' names in Korean 'Han Gue' since LP's phonetic are not 100% anyway, and if you want to ask a Korean for help then it's better to have it written in Korean. The language section could use a couple more phrases like like 'not to spicy please.' The Seoul book is out of date, lots of places went out of bussiness. I also bought LP's Korea book and it has more up-to date info. Since all the writers in both guides are males, information for women travellers is pitiful. The layout is confusing and not easy to find, I had buy post-it tabs for different sections otherwise it would take more time find it again. THis is not a concised guide, there are two many overlaps, like there are two sections on food, but in the food glossary doesn't have some of the names of food mentioned elsewhere that takes up a whole paragraph.So buy this guide if English is the only language you can read.
Completely weak.......2007-06-03
This is one of the only travel books on Seoul that is easy to get. I have taken it with me on three trips to Seoul so far, and have found it almost useless. I got a better idea of places to visit from the map I got from the hotel and searching the internet than I did from this guide.
Needs Reworking.......2007-03-10
Lonely Planet Seoul is poorly organized and riddled with inaccuracies; unfortunately it is the only comprehensive, recent Seoul guide (in English) on the market. I used the book to get an overview of Seoul, but shockingly, found the tourist information office maps and guides more useful and accurate. The website Seoul Style offers much more interesting eating, entertainment, and shopping suggestions, but very occasionally I'll refer to the Lonely Planet for further ideas.
The book ought to be organized by neighborhood rather than subject; it's aggravating to visit an area of Seoul and flip between different chapters, looking for the two inches of print on a given activity in a particular area. Other Lonely Planet and Fodor's guides usually integrate all suggestions by neighborhood and accurately portray those suggestions onto maps. One can get an overview of the different areas when the descriptions are integrated, especially if the author writes an introductory paragraph about a neighborhood's feel; to Robinson, it seems that places are just places, with no 'there' there. In reality, each area of Seoul does have a unique feel and meaning.
In the LP Seoul guide, the maps' numbered descriptions are often mis-categorized (e.g., under 'Shopping' the author suggests the bookstore Seoul Selection, but when you look for the location on the map, it is listed under 'Entertainment'; when poring through dozens of suggestions in tiny font, it is frustrating to check all the categories to compensate for his carelessness). The layout and selection of maps in general is mediocre, and leave little sense of the scale or organization of Seoul; for instance, Robinson devotes two pages of maps to Jamsil to depict just a few activities, and leaves the bottom half of those two pages devoid of suggestion, but gives the large, very happening area of Gangnam / Apjugong just one page. Adjacent Cheongdam, which a favorite hangout for younger Koreans and in 'feel' and location is much closer to Apjugong, he places on the Jamsil map, but doesn't provide any activities.
The transliteration between Hangul and English is frequently bizarre, which makes it difficult to decipher the names of neighborhoods and places. It is better to use the Tourist Maps (in other cities I've never relied on tourist maps, but Seoul is different), for the transliteration and neighborhood names are more commonly understood by Koreans. His language guide is also transliterated ineffectually; a traveler trying to follow his phonetics would never be understood by a Korean. For vowels pronounced 'e' he writes 'i'; the number 1 is correctly pronounced like eel; he writes 'il', which is perfect if he means the French pronunciation of 'il'; same for 2: pronounced e, he writes i - again, great for French, but he's transliterating to English, so it's wrong.
LP Seoul needs to be rewritten by a very organized, clear thinker who possesses a current understanding of Seoul and Hangul-English translation, yet who recalls the needs of a first-time visitor to this dynamic city.
Lonely Planet.......2006-08-19
Short passages about all sights and sites one might want to visit. Would be a good book to have there with you as you sightsee.
Book Description
From pirates singing Ricky Martin to mob hits carried out with samurai swords, Bertil Lintner offers a fascinating look at organized crime in the Asian Pacific. Both Western and Asian pundits assert that shady deals are an Asian way of life. Some argue that corruption and illicit business ventures-gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, gun running, and oil smuggling-are entrenched parts of the Asian value system. Yet many Asian leaders maintain that their cities are safer than Sydney, Amsterdam, New York, or Los Angeles. Mak-ing use of expertise gained from twenty years of living in Asia, Lintner exposes the role crime plays in the countries of the Far East. In Blood Brothers, he takes readers inside the criminal fraternities of Asia, examining these networks and their histories to answer one question: How are civil societies all over the world to be protected from the worst excesses of increasingly globalized mobsters?
Customer Reviews:
Big Ears Du, Pockmarked Huang & Brokentooth Kwoi.......2005-07-01
Bertil Lintner belongs to a long, fruitful tradition of Anglo-American journalism on Asia. Here he collects a huge amount of historical and current data on large-scale organized crime in East and Southeast Asia; drugs, prostitution, gambling, labor rackets, extortion, "protection," kidnapping, piracy and smuggling are all covered. He defines this difficult, even dangerous subject broadly, including Russia and activities of Asian gangsters in Australia and the USA, with plentiful background on the region to provide context. Lintner discusses infamous secret societies and gangs such as the South China Triads, Japan's yakuza and the Qing Bang (Green Gang) of old Shanghai; their ties to law enforcement and governments; and roles in variously thwarting or promoting political change. It is a pleasure to read an exciting work on an exciting topic, but there are some flaws. Lintner uses interviews and published sources well, but seems to have done little archival research. Some fine, better-documented works cover aspects of the topic: on Java, R. Cribb, "Gangsters & Revolutionaries;" B. Martin, "The Shanghai Green Gang;" and Pan Ling, "Old Shanghai," by a native of the city. Maps would greatly aid in understanding a vast geographical area, and illustrations are sorely missed (wouldn't you like to see how Huang, Du and Kwoi got their names?) Finally, Lintner's grim, brutal tales may induce creeping paranoia and depression among readers. "Blood Brothers" is hardly uplifting but still very worthwhile.
Tremendous.......2003-11-22
This book is simply tremendous. It provides a rare glimpse of a magnificent lost world, one I never imagined existed. It lifts the slimy rock of civilization and shows you the teeming throngs underneath. Enter 1930's Shanghai, a city with three governments, French, British and Chinese, each with their own laws, so that someone could rob a man in one part of the city, flee down the street and escape prosecution. It was a place where the chief of police was also China's most notorious gangster. Enter a world of secret societies, pimps, hustlers, hookers in high collared silk gowns split up to their thighs, gangsters who traced their origins to the Shoalin temples, gamblers, ravenous opium smokers, pirates and every other form of low life. Relive a time where a government fought two wars to force another country to do drugs, rather than ban them. All in all a fabulously researched, well written book that paints a vivid picture of bawdy times you didn't read about in history class. Maybe if they had taught this in history, it would have been a heck of a lot more fun.
Great Survey of Roots of Asian Crime & Its Political Ties.......2003-07-07
Lintner does a good job of providing the reader with a basic understanding of the roots behind many of the predominant crime syndicates found in Asia today. The chapters are basically separated by country, although there are cross-references throughout the book. "Blood Brothers" does not cover all of the countries in Asia, and the biggest emphasis is on the Chinese "Triads" and their derivative influences across the globe. Although the text gets kind of slow sometimes with the abundance of naming and terminology used, this book should be a great resource for anyone interested in studying crime in Asia. Overall, the book is a very valuable and well-written study of the Asian underworld and its implications for global governing and U.S. foreign policy.
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