It's a gorgeous autumn day in Georgetown. The Democratic candidates for president and vice president of the United States are dutifully glad-handing voters and the media outside a grand estate where a national security conference has just been held, bringing together the world's greatest minds to discuss the issues that are threatening the country. It's American politicking at its best. That's when all hell breaks loose.
When presidential candidate Josh Alexander's motorcade is ambushed by a group of terrorists, the nation is thrown into turmoil. Two weeks following the attack, Alexander is carried to victory by a sympathy vote, but his assailants have not been found. On the surface it appears to be the work of al-Qaeda, despite the tremendous job that the U.S. and her allies have done eliminating terrorist cells within the heart of America. While the FBI and the rest of the government begin scouring the world for jihadists, CIA director Irene Kennedy and Special Agent Skip McMahon are presented with classified information so toxic that they consider destroying it altogether, as it contains intelligence pointing to some of the most powerful players in Washington.
Enter Mitch Rapp, the one man reckless enough to follow the evidence to its explosive conclusion. His journey takes him through the shadowy world of contract killers, into the darkest corners of the globe, and eventually back to Washington, where the fragile pillars of power are shaken to their core.
It is, however, Doubleday and Anchor's policy to stand with our authors when accusations are initially leveled against their work, and we continue to believe this is right and proper. A publisher's relationship with an author is based to an extent on trust. Mr. Frey's repeated representations of the book's accuracy, throughout publication and promotion, assured us that everything in it was true to his recollections. When the Smoking Gun report appeared, our first response, given that we were still learning the facts of the matter, was to support our author. Since then, we have questioned him about the allegations and have sadly come to the realization that a number of facts have been altered and incidents embellished.
We bear a responsibility for what we publish, and apologize to the reading public for any unintentional confusion surrounding the publication of A Million Little Pieces. We are immediately taking the following actions:
The jacket for all future editions will carry the line "With new notes from the publisher and from the author."
*Customers should find the Author's Note and Publisher's Note in copies purchased from Amazon.com after April 15, 2006.
Note: The following editorial reviews were written before the recent revelations by James Frey and the publisher.
Amazon.com
The electrifying opening of James Frey's debut memoir, A Million Little Pieces, smash-cuts to the then 23-year-old author on a Chicago-bound plane "covered with a colorful mixture of spit, snot, urine, vomit and blood." Wanted by authorities in three states, without ID or any money, his face mangled and missing four front teeth, Frey is on a steep descent from a dark marathon of drug abuse. His stunned family checks him into a famed Minnesota drug treatment center where a doctor promises "he will be dead within a few days" if he starts to use again, and where Frey spends two agonizing months of detox confronting "The Fury" head on:
I want a drink. I want fifty drinks. I want a bottle of the purest, strongest, most destructive, most poisonous alcohol on Earth. I want fifty bottles of it. I want crack, dirty and yellow and filled with formaldehyde. I want a pile of powder meth, five hundred hits of acid, a garbage bag filled with mushrooms, a tube of glue bigger than a truck, a pool of gas large enough to drown in. I want something anything whatever however as much as I can.
One of the more harrowing sections is when Frey submits to major dental surgery without the benefit of anesthesia or painkillers (he fights the mind-blowing waves of "bayonet" pain by digging his fingers into two old tennis balls until his nails crack). His fellow patients include a damaged crack addict with whom Frey wades into an ill-fated relationship, a federal judge, a former championship boxer, and a mobster (who, upon his release, throws a hilarious surf-and-turf bacchanal, complete with pay-per-view boxing). In the book's epilogue, when Frey ticks off a terse update on everyone, you can almost hear the Jim Carroll Band's brutal survivor's lament "People Who Died" kicking in on the soundtrack of the inevitable film adaptation.
The rage-fueled memoir is kept in check by Frey's cool, minimalist style. Like his steady mantra, "I am an Alcoholic and I am a drug Addict and I am a Criminal," Frey's use of repetition takes on a crisp, lyrical quality which lends itself to the surreal experience. The book could have benefited from being a bit leaner. Nearly 400 pages is a long time to spend under Frey's influence, and the stylistic acrobatics (no quotation marks, random capitalization, left-aligned text, wild paragraph breaks) may seem too self-conscious for some readers, but beyond the literary fireworks lurks a fierce debut. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Book Description
“The most lacerating tale of drug addiction since William S. Burroughs’
Junky.” —The Boston Globe
“Again and again, the book delivers recollections that leave the reader winded and unsteady. James Frey’s staggering recovery memoir could well be seen as the final word on the topic.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“A brutal, beautifully written memoir.”—The Denver Post
“Gripping . . . A great story . . . You can’t help but cheer his victory.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
Download Description
At the age of twenty-three, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his four front teeth had been knocked out. His nose was broken and there was a hole through his cheek. He had no idea where the plane was headed or what had happened over the preceding two weeks. He had been an alcoholic for ten years and a crack addict for three. When he checked into a treatment facility shortly thereafter, he was told he could either stop using or die before he reached twenty-four.
A Million Little Pieces is Frey's acclaimed account of his six weeks in rehab; fiercely honest and deeply affecting, it is one of the most graphic and immediate books ever to be written about addiction and recovery.
"James Frey has written the War and Peace of addiction. It lends new meaning to the word 'harrowing' and one sometimes shudders to read it. But deep down, beneath all the layers and the masks, there lives something unconquerable in Frey's hurt spirit... And the writing, the writing, the writing."
PAT CONROY
"A Million Little Pieces is as intense and perfectly detailed an account of a human quitting his drug and alcohol dependency as you are likely to read. And James Frey is horribly honest and funny in a young-guard Eggers and Wallace sort of way, but perhaps more contained and measured. He is unerring in his descent into a world where the characters need help in such extremely desperate ways. Read this immediately."
GUS VAN SANT
"A Million Little Pieces is this generation's most comprehensive book about addiction: a heartbreaking memoir defined by its youthful tone and poetic honesty. Beneath the brutality of James Frey's painful process of growing up, there are simple gestures of kindness that will reduce even the most jaded to tears. Very few books earn those tears—this one does. It will have you sobbing, laughing, angry, frustrated, and most importantly, hopeful. A Million Little Pieces is inspirational and essential. A remarkable performance."
BRET EASTON ELLIS
Customer Reviews:
Incredible.......2007-10-08
This book was incredible. I loved every page of it. I like how Frey presented the stories, the experiences, etc. It made me sob, think, laugh, ponder, cringe, and embrace the journey of the book. Get over the controversy and let yourself become addicted to the writing of Frey.
A MUST READ.............2007-10-02
I too read this book on a lark just to see what all the fuss was about. I found it very difficult to put down dispite all that I had heard about it. I went into reading it knowing that the book was not completely factual and still enjoyed it trememdously. There were a couple of parts in the book which were difficult to read (i.e. - my teeth hurt for a while afterwards), but whole book was definately worth it. I think JAMES FREY may have inadvertantly fell into a new career for himself.....author of fiction.
A Milion Little Pieces.......2007-09-12
I finally got around to this book.Even after all the neg. re-reviews,I loved this book and James Frey is a fantastic writer, truth or not the book tells a wonderful true story of how I feel about the rehab-AA B.S.that is stuffed down anybody who is a alcoholic/addict and the people who love and care about are also fed the same B.S..I think AA should make this book THE BIG BOOK as well as the book Frey's brother gave him in the story, made to replace the 12 steps.I have sent a copy to my alcoholic husband in hopes he to will see the light after 8 rehabs and over 500,000.00 spent on his recovery.Lost his white collar job,house,family,and health.Looking forward to more books by James Frey
I Felt Cheated.......2007-08-29
This book was very powerful. I could not put it down and recommended it to many of my friends. I also tried to get my son (who suffers from addictions) to read it. It was well written and my heart went out to Mr. Frey. But...then I learned that it was not all true. Part of it was fabricated and exaggerated. I really felt let down and disappointed. Mr. Frey should have been honest from the beginning. I give it a 5 star rating but as a fictional story, not a nonfictional documentary.
Like but dislike.......2007-08-23
Read the book, it is good cant argue with that but it is not exceptional, it doesn't really leave anything behind. But good non the less and if you haven't read many true stories about drugs than this one is better than most.
Customer Reviews:
C'mon, Editors!!!!!!.......2007-10-06
Love the books in the series but the use of the verb "rushed" is starting to keep me from ejoying the story. Does EVERYONE in Lake Eden "rush"? There are many, many verbs for the same thing. Please find a new one before I "rush" to find another good series.
another winning food mystery.......2007-08-12
Ms. Fluke has again written a fun and entertaining book. The story flows well, and keeps you interested right up to the last. The recipes are an added bonus, as most of them are very good.
Incredibly Dull.......2007-08-06
I have enjoyed each of Joanne Fluke's previous Hannah Swensen novels, but this was by and far the worst one I have read yet. It usually takes me about a day to a day and a half to read her books, whereas I spent more than a week and a half plodding through this one.
The plot was slow and I often found myself confused. The author would get ahead of herself, leaving me reading the same sentence several times wondering if I had missed something in the previous paragraph, only to find that the confusing sentence is explained a page or two later. About 125 pages into the book, Willa Sunquist was FINALLY killed-- keep in mind that the book is only 337 pages, which means that it took more than 1/3 of the book to kill someone off! The murder was solved in about 10 pages, leaving me wondering just what happened in all the pages I had read. (I concluded that nothing happened and I had wasted a lot of time reading this book.)
I used to enjoy the murder mysteries of Jill Churchill, until I noticed the decline in quality and my declining interest. One of Churchill's worst books was the one in which her main character discovers the wonders of car alarms and cell phones (I think I reviewed it here on Amazon before). That was the last Churchill book I read, and that's when I turned to Joanne Fluke to entertain me. But now Joanne Fluke has made the same mistake, with Hannah SO unwilling to enter the 21st century, what with not having a computer or a cell phone and yet at the same time stringing along two men.
There was a part in the book where Norman wants to take a photo of Moishe with his cell phone and send it over to someone else's cell phone. All the while, Hannah is confused-- "Are you going to get your camera? Are you going print the picture out and fax it over?" It was just unbelievable! If Hannah is indeed 29 pushing 30, there's no way she could be so dense and confused about modern technology.
Books I can't put down!!!.......2007-07-07
All of Joanne's books are hard to put down once I start them. I love the fact that she writes them without any "juicy" details of the crimes. Key Lime Pie Murder so far is my favorite though I love all of them. The recipes are ones that I can't wait to try. I get disappointed when I know that I have to wait so long until the next book comes out. Thanks, Joanne for writing books that make me forget the real world for at least 2 days. I look forward to finding out what the secret is about Hannah's mother. I have many ideas so I hope one of them is right.
Another great mystery in a fun, suspenseful series........2007-06-24
Each of the books in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series is terrific. Hannah is a very likeable character and very easy to relate to. The mysteries have enough twists to keep you guessing, but give you enough clues to make it fun to figure out "who did it."
As an added bonus, the recipes are great! From this particular book, I've tried the popovers and honey butter. Both were super easy and absolutely delicious. I also highly recommend trying the blueberry muffin recipe from the book of the same name.
My only problem with this book (hardcover edition) would be with the editing/proofreading. Hannah, herself, is a stickler for good grammer and proper word usage. She would not have been happy with the mistakes found in her novel. Most common were extra words in a sentence (an example might be: The girl went went to the store.) I've noticed this slightly in previous books in the series, but it seemed more prevalent this time. Just something the publishers might want to watch out for.
Otherwise, this was a very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it.
Book Description
Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the MMPI-2™
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Revised (MMPI-2™) is the most widely used test in the world for personality assessment. To use it properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret this test. Written by clinical psychologist David S. Nichols, Essentials of MMPI-2™ Assessment is that source.
Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of a major psychological assessment instrument. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered.
Essentials of MMPI-2™ Assessment provides step-by-step guidance on test administration, scoring, and interpretation. As well, the author provides his expert assessment of the test's relative strengths and weaknesses, valuable advice on its clinical applications, and several illuminating case reports.
Customer Reviews:
MMPI-2 at a glance .......2006-02-07
While I am not a big fan of the MMPI2, if you must use it and write reports on it, this book will help you out immensely.
However, if you are just beginning to do assessments, I recommend mastering the Personality Assesssment Inventory (PAI) instead, because it was written in response to MMPI criticisms and is more contemporary. And if for no other reason than the fact that you don't need millions of stencils to handscore it!!
The portable MMPI-2 handbook.......2003-05-19
I have an entire shelf of MMPI/MMPI-2 books. While I can't give up my Roger Greene volume, nor Caldwell, Butcher, and others, this little book wins the prize for practicality. Dr. Nichols has integrated manifestations of psychopathology and real world behaviors that are commonly seen in various MMPI-2 score elevations or depressions at a level that exceeds that of other available handbooks. This is not just a book for the beginning student -- while it will give novices a real jump start, it is a book which advanced practitioners including forensic psychologists will find exceptionally useful. This book is worth every penny and then some. I only wish that Wiley would put this book into e-book format so that I could have it in my computer for ready access wherever I go.
Detailed, Helpful Advice for Beginners & Advanced MMPI-2 Use.......2003-04-05
David Nichols provides detailed, easy-to-understand guidance for assessing psychopathology and personality using the MMPI-2. As a graduate student in clinical psychology, I found this book extremely helpful in evaluating MMPI-2 profiles. The book we are using in my Assessment of Personality course - Newmarks' Major Psychological Assessment Instruments, was simply too dry and academic. I purchased Essentials to help me understand the powerful MMPI-2. It worked! In class, when called upon to provide my own assessment of MMPI-2 profiles, I was able to quickly make sound judgments. Other students were amazed. In fact, the professor asked: "How did you know that?" When I shared I was using Nichols' book, he exclaimed; "That explains it. That book is excellent."
Essentials includes far greater detail on potential 2, 3, and 4 code profiles. In addition, it includes insight into the history, treatment and prognosis of individuals with various clinical scale, validity scale, and profile code scores. It also includes detailed information on the clinical and normal groups and validation stragy used for each scale. Many tables also provide quick references for later use.
Book Description
Prophets is the fourth volume of the full-color reproduction books of The Saint John's Bible, featuring some of the most beautiful passages in all of Sacred Scripture. The ancient prophets of Israel suffered and celebrated with the people they both admonished and praised. They provided words of consolation during times of oppression and kept the flame of hope alive during the darkest periods of Israelite and Jewish history. Christians honor the prophets as those who foretold the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as is evidenced by the many references to the prophets in the New Testament. The prophetic message is as relevant today as it was in ancient Israel. The prophets continue to call us to respond to God's love and offer their unvarnished judgment on our behavior. Jackson's images amplify the prophetic word, keeping the flame of hope alive today. Prophets includes artistic depictions from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah, Amos, Daniel, and Zechariah. Major images are Isaiah's Temple Vision and Suffering Servant, Ezekiel's Call and the Valley of the Dry Bones, Daniel's Son of Man, Amos' Plea for Social Justice, and Zechariah's Messianic Prediction. In addition, famous passages such as Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" receive special calligraphic and artistic treatment.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Addition.......2007-03-19
This is an excellent addition to the previous volumes of the St. John's Bible that have come out. I can't wait for the last three! As with the other volumes, the calligraphy is a bit hard to read, but it is being true to the art form. Grogeous illuminations. I recommend that the collector also purchase "The Art of the Saint John's Bible" by Susan Sink or a similar volume for a complete explanation of the illuminations.
Average customer rating:
- Let Us Eat Cake!
- A sweet read without quite enough bite.
- I want cake!
- charming
- Everyone should "Eat Cake"
|
Eat Cake
Jeanne Ray
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0451211979
Release Date: 2004-05-04 |
Book Description
Ever since childhood, Ruth has found baking cakes to be a source of relief from the stresses of life. And now-as her husband loses his job, her life-of-the-party father arrives for an extended stay (much to the dismay of her mother, who also moved in recently), and her teenage daughter perfects the art of sulking-Ruth is going to need some serenity. But she also needs a plan. Because with funds running low and tempers running short, her family needs more than the perfect sweet. It's going to be up to Ruth to save the day, and let the crumbs fall where they may...
"Ray does for cake what Joanne Harris did for chocolate."
Customer Reviews:
Let Us Eat Cake!.......2007-09-25
Being a cake decorator, I especially enjoyed the cake recipes in the back. Thanks!
A sweet read without quite enough bite........2007-09-02
This is an enjoyable book, but the characters lacked appeal for me. I wanted to like it more, but something was just missing. The plot was predictible and without any real climax. The best thing about the book was the relationship between Ruth's long estranged parents. With a little more depth this could have been an outstanding book -- even a great movie perhaps. As it is, I'd give it to a friend to read -- but tell them not to expect too much.
I want cake!.......2007-08-17
Simple read, no complex character development here. You learn a lot about the different kinds of cake out there, plus I like her analysis about how people treat dessert ("oh, just a small piece for me.") My question for the author is why she even included the son, Lucas, in college. It is like he isn't a part of the family at all. I wonder how he would have felt if this whole family was reinventing themselves without him.
charming.......2007-07-27
I was late to find Jeanne Ray, but bought,read and enjoyed her novels in quick succession. However, this is my shining favorite. The characters, story arc and relationships are so interesting, entertaining and well-done. There is real poignancy in the main character's relationship with her daughter. Touching without being overly sentimental, just a charming story.
Everyone should "Eat Cake".......2007-03-23
Jeanne Ray is one of my favorite authors and I think this is her best book yet! I introduced it to my book club and we all laughed and enjoyed it together and we still talk about it. I loved how it reminds us that we are often looking for answers to life's problems everywhere but at ourselves. It also shows (like all her books) that the mother of a family is often the glue that holds everything together and when it gets to much we should take a break and "Eat Cake" or do something else just for us.
Book Description
This book is a comprehensive overview of the MMPI/MMPI-2 and its interpretation. In a single source, the book provides an introduction to basic issues in the development and administration of the MMPI as well as a step-by-step procedure for interpreting the test.
Additionally, the author discusses the use of the MMPI/MMPI-2 with special groups and it reviews the use and interpretation of critical items, special scales, and short forms. Summaries of empirical research are included in each chapter to illustrate the bases for interpretations. Offers an extended discussion of assessing validity. Uses case studies to illustrate interpretations. Provides a discussion of the use of MMPI/MMPI-2 with adolescents, the aged, and ethnic minorities. Written by an outstanding authority on the MMPI/MMPI-2.
For any practicing clinician or psychologist.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Condition.......2006-02-25
The book was in great condition and came in a matter of days. This was a good first online purchasing experience for me.
difficult reading, but a must have for the MMPI.......2006-02-22
This book is not one you would ordinarily read cover-to-cover, but it is a must have for anyone who is using the MMPI. Greene is a MMPI genius and he knows the MMPI like no one else. I'm using his book more as a reference, and I'm using other books such as Butcher's to actually learn the MMPI.
Exelent book.......2005-08-24
This is the best book I have read regarding the MMPI-2. It gives in depth coverage of almost all known scales available for the MMPI-2, and has all you need to learn to use the test. Codetypes are well explained, and presented in a systematic fashion. There are lots of infomration about codetypes which are useful in the case of juding the deegre to which the patient fits the particular codetype description. The book also includes several validityscales which are very usable to attain an in depth understanding of the response pattern of the test subject.
The only disadvantages with this book is that the subject index is not too good and, some sections are hard to read. The last disadvantage I can tell, is that there sould have been explanations of three point codetypes, which I can not find in this book. However all these disadvantages are minor compared to that of other books about the MMPI-2!
Average customer rating:
- A Teenager in the Civil War
- Charley is a freak (i think)
- A kid at war.
- Chris's Review
- Not what i expected but a good read
|
Soldier's Heart : Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
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ASIN: 0440228387
Release Date: 2000-09-12 |
Amazon.com
In spare, almost biblical prose, Gary Paulsen writes of the horrors of combat in a Civil War novella that puts a powerful, more contemporary spin on Stephen Crane's classic The Red Badge of Courage. Based on the life of a real boy, it tells the story of Charley Goddard, who lies his way into the Union Army at the age of 15. Charley has never been anyplace beyond Winona, Minnesota, and thinks war would be a great adventure. And it is--at first--as his regiment marches off through cheering crowds and pretty, flag-waving girls. But then comes the battle. Charley screams, "Make it stop now!" disbelieving that anything so horrible could be real. Paulsen is unsparing in the details of what actually happens on the battlefield: the living men suddenly blown into pieces, the agony and fear, the noise and terror, the stinking corpses. After many battles, Charley is wounded and sent home an old man before he is 20, his will to live destroyed by combat fatigue--leaving him with a "soldier's heart." Paulsen has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and several Newbery Honor awards for previous work, but this superb, small masterpiece transcends any of his earlier titles in its remarkable, memorable intensity and power. (Ages 12 to 15) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
In June 1861, when the Civil War began, Charley Goddard enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteers. He was 15. He didn't know what a "shooting war" meant or what he was fighting for. But he didn't want to miss out on a great adventure.
The "shooting war" turned out to be the horror of combat and the wild luck of survival; how it feels to cross a field toward the enemy, waiting for fire. When he entered the service he was a boy. When he came back he was different; he was only 19, but he was a man with "soldier's heart," later known as "battle fatigue."
Customer Reviews:
A Teenager in the Civil War.......2007-07-03
In 1861 Charley is fifteen years old, living on a farm in Minnesota with his mother and little brother. Everyone has heard the rumor that there is to be a war, with those in the North fighting to stop the Southern rebels from doing damage to the country. No one is quite sure if the war is really going to happen, but Charley is determined to be a part of it if it is.
He convinces his mother that he can handle himself as a soldier and tells her the eleven dollars a month he'll be paid will help her out, and she agrees to let him go. He signs up, lying about his age so they will let him into the army, and begins his training.
At first things are horribly boring. The volunteer military spends much of its time sitting around, doing drills that don't use up their ammunition, and eating really bad food. Charley is considering deserting and simply going home, when finally his unit marches into battle.
Their first battle is a bloodbath--his unit tries to march across an open field while rebel soldiers shoot at them from above. Charley isn't sure what he thought a shooting war would be like, but it was certainly nothing like this. As the war continues and Charley is a part of more and more battles, he learns what war really is, and sees more than his share of the horror of it.
I liked that war wasn't glamorized at all in this book--the narrator spoke of the boredom between battles and the horror of the battles themselves. Nothing was made out to be fun about it. I also liked that Charley was so shocked and couldn't get over what he had seen. He was just a kid when he went into war and it wouldn't have been realistic for him to handle it well.
However, this book was a little too simplistic. It didn't give any of the nuances of Charley's thoughts and feelings, and didn't explore the feelings of anyone except this one main character. I would have liked a bit more depth.
Charley is a freak (i think).......2007-05-29
I definitely recommend this book to all readers. Gary Paulsen does a great job in showing how Charley feels that he will certainly die, and how he changes from a happy farmer to a man that will kill to stay alive. This was one of the greatest historical fiction books that I have ever read because of all the amazing events that actually took place. For example, Charley and another man use dead bodies to build a wall to stop a vicious wind. This book had a lot of surprises, like when Charley is hit and wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. I couldn't wait to turn the page because of all these horrendous and shocking surprises. Because this book is only 102 pages, it makes for an astonishing quick read.
A kid at war........2007-05-20
As already stated, this is a fictionalized story of a young 15 year Minnesota boy who fought in the Civil War. Paulsen takes liberties in relating the short life of Charley Goddard. Goddard participated in many major battles of the Civil War such as Bull Run and Gettysburg. He shows the cost of war on the youths that fight it by relating the term soldier's heart. A soldier's heart becomes hardened by the experience of death in battle. He no longer fears death, viewing it as a way to meet the soldiers who proceeded him in death.
This is a story detailing the cruelity of battle. Battle hardens our soldiers and puts severe strains on their mentail peace. This should be remembered in terms of the cost are soldiers are now going through.
Chris's Review.......2007-05-14
Soldier's Heart
By: Gary Paulsen
Number of pages: 102 Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Do you like a book with action, drama, and a main character with lots of bravery? Then you should pick up the book Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen.
Soldier's Heart is based on a true story about a fifteen-year-old boy in Minnesota named Charley Goddard, who lies about his age to join the First Volunteers of Minnesota, to fight in the Civil War.
The main character in the story is a young man, Charley, for his age, Charley is a very mature man and is a very hard worker in every aspect. When Charley is sent off to get prepared for the war, he battles some conflicts. One conflict that he has to battle is that his mother sends him letters saying the she wants him to come back home. Charley feels bad and at first wants to come home, but these thoughts gradually leave.
I like this book for many reasons. One reason was that I like to read about historical fiction, and about the Civil War. Another reason why I like this book was because the main character, "Charley," was only fifteen, and I can relate a lot to the things that he thought and what was going on in his head. The last reason is because the author had a good perspective of what went on during the war.
Gary Paulsen was the author of the book Soldier's Heart. He has also written many other books such as Brian's Winter, Hatchet, The Crossing, The Rifle, and Danger on the Midnight River. Paulsen is able to have a great knowledge because he went to war and fought for our country.
The part in the story that I did not care for was the battlefields. They seemed like they were made up, because of the location. I also did not like how the story had started out. I would have liked to know a little bit more about his family and the backgrounds that Charley lived in.
I would give this book four out of five stars. I would recommend this book to people who like to know historical facts about the Civil War and the battles that were fought in it. Overall, Soldier's Heart is an exciting, historical, and adventurous book that anyone would enjoy to read.
Not what i expected but a good read.......2007-03-09
I didn't realize how short the book was until I already recieved it. It was my fault for not seeing it on the display page but despite how short it is it still provides the reader with an idea of how being on a battlefield during the civil war would be like.
Book Description
Annie Wilder suspected the funky 100-year-old house was haunted when she saw it for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the mischievous and downright scary antics that take place once she, her two children, and her cats move into the rundown Victorian home. Disembodied conversation, pounding walls, glowing orbs, and mysterious whispers soon escalate into full-fledged ghostly visits-provoking sheer terror that, over time, transforms into curiosity. Determined to make peace with her spirit guests, she invites renowned clairvoyant Echo Bodine over and learns fascinating details about each of the entities residing there.
Wilder's gripping tale provides a compelling glimpse into the otherworldly nature of the lonely spirits, protective forces, phantom pets, and departed loved ones that occupy her remarkable home.
Annie Wilder (Minnesota) is a mother and writer. She continues to bravely live in her spooky old house with three cats and numerous ghosts. This is her first book.
Customer Reviews:
Spooky Read!.......2007-10-16
Why she bought this house I will never know but I'm glad she did so she could write the book and tell us all about it. The house was old and spooky to begin with but she fell in love with it - even though it needed a lot of work. The previous owner had been an older man who lived there alone except he rented out some of the rooms. At first I was scared of him but you will soon realize he is not threatening to Annie and her family but some of the other ghosts are. I'm not even sure I believe in ghosts but at night after reading and laying down to sleep I know I had some strange and sometimes disturbing dreams.
Wilder has a nice writing style - very conversational - as though she is telling you all this over a cup of tea. I found the book delightful and was sorry for it to end. I am looking forward to reading other books by her and I hope everyone enjoys the book as much as I did.
Not Good........2007-09-01
A. Wilder must have been on some heavy drugs or something. This book started off fairly decent, then progressivly worse and worse. That astral BS simply turned me off completely. Grave's End was a lot better..
House of woo-woo.......2007-08-07
I found Wilder's account interesting not so much for the ghost story as for her complete credulity and confidence in her own abilities-- not only to understand spiritual entities, but to *control* them.
She assumes spirits respond to her every thought and action, protect her home and family as requested, and go away when she says. Wilder always thinks she's accurately perceived and interpreted the spiritual "energy" in her home; she believes without hesitation pretty much anything she's told about the supposed haunting; and she assumes her dreams are real. She's awesome, but not really in a positive way-- more in a "good god, Annie, your hubris is absolutely outrageous" kind of way.
The visual phenomena she describes aren't uncommon-- many people see geometric light shapes and patterns when half-awake-- there are medical explanations for that (Wilder thinks the lights are sent to teach her something in the spiritual realm).
Great reading!.......2007-06-22
I had heard about this book so I decided to give it a try. I was NOT disappointed. Annie Wilder is a talented and BRAVE lady. I would love to meet her one day just to hear more about her encounters. Read this book and you won't be able to put it down.
Love it!.......2007-05-15
This book was fascinating from the beginning. I read it in two sittings. I've had experiences with ghosts since I was a child. In fact, the house my parents lived in when I was born was haunted by the couple who lived there before them. This mystery of a book not only intrigued me, but brought back memories as well. A fine book worth anyone's shelf.
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