Book Description
Inspired by his experiences as a French military officer and attache in China, Greece, Southeast Asia, and Algeria, the author realized the "need for a compass" in the suppression of insurgency, and he set out to "define the laws of counterinsurgency warfare, to deduce from them its principles, and to outline the corresponding strategy and tactics." His book provides an analysis of how to countermine insurgency and the elements that might hinder its defeat. Written in 1964, the book in its new printing is as relevant now as it was 40 years ago-providing a template for the defeat of today's insurgents and terrorists.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, with one caveat.......2007-09-04
I will not repeat the good things said in previous reviews on this work, as they cover it well, and the credentials of the previous reviewers in several instances should also speak for themselves.
Galula's book is a very good effort for trying to look at the lessons of counterinsurgency objectively. In reading reviews and other materials on the book, as well as talking to people about it, I fear, however, that Galula's work is often taken out of its historical context, which is dangerous. Galula's essay, like Roger Trinquier's "Modern Warfare," need to be seen in the context of the French guerre revolutionnaire, developed first in Indochina between 1945-1954 (French defense journals at the time are replete with the writings of officers developing the school of guerre revolutionnaire), and carried over to Algeria between 1954-1962. The guerre revolutionnaire school argued that counterinsurgents needed to not just understand the insurgents, but fight a counterinsurgency using the tactics and strategy of insurgency. The intellectual starting point was Mao. The guerre revolutionnaire school and its intellectual heritage in the French Army goes a long way toward explaining many of the excesses and brutal tactics used in Algeria. The four generals who tried to overthrow de Gaulle in April 1961 were some of the guerre revolutionnaire's most vocal disciples.
Thus, while Galula's book is invaluable, I fear it being taken out of context of the guerre revolutionnaire school of thought in the French army during the 1950s. There is unfortunately very little on it in English as well, which is part of the problem. For anyone wishing to use Galula's precepts in counterinsurgency or to understand the nature of counterinsurgency, please make sure you learn more about the French military in Indochina and Algeria and the context from which Galula formed his ideas of counterinsurgency.
Must read.......2007-09-01
This a must read for officers, soldiers, and thinkers to understand the framework and theory of the relationship between an insurgency and its counter insurgency. A bit dated, but most of the information still appears to carry its value till today.
Yogi Berra was right. It's déjà vu all over again........2007-07-25
Having lived through the 60s and Viet Nam, I can recognize much of what is in the news today - just change the names. The type of war we now face has had many names: revolutionary war, counterinsurgency, counter terrorism, guerrilla warfare, asymmetric warfare, and so on. One size does not fit all, and it would be a fool who believes that there is a one-for-one match between conflicts. It would also be a fool who ignores the practical, political, and theoretical basis for such conflicts and the extent to which they share characteristics.
This book addresses more the military end. This is not in any way a criticism. This book is very well written and well worth the reading. At the time it was written, armies were attempting to build a doctrinal base to use in such conflicts. In doing so, they also concentrated on the military. Again, this is not in any way a criticism, for doing so is their job. The political aspects of such conflicts are, properly, the job of the civilian leadership.
The Iraq conflict, and the war in Afghanistan, have brought the subject again to the world's attention. My personal opinion is that many are now busy re-inventing the wheel.
For anyone interested in the subject, many books are available. The best of the recent publications is General Sir Rupert Smith's The Utility of Force. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Carl von Clausewitz edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret. On War. is a given, as is Sun Tzu, and Mao Tse-Tung's, Selected Military Writings. Peking, PRC: Foreign Language Press, 1966. Smith gives the best account of the need for combining all factors in a situation such as we find ourselves in now. Wesley Clark also does a good job of describing the complicated nature of modern conflicts.
Other books are listed below, in no particular order. The (H) and (P) indicate if the book is hardcover or paperback.
Thompson, Sir Robert. Defeating Communist Insurgency, The Lessons of Malaya and Vietnam. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Pbulishers, 1966. (H)
Hart, B. H. Liddell. Strategy. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1954. (P)
McCuen, John J.. The Art of Counter-Revolutionary War. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company, 1966. (H)
Paret, Peter and John W. Shy. Guerrillas in the 1960's, Revised Edition. New York: Frederick A. Praaeger, Publisher, 1962. (P)
Paret, Peter. French Revolutionary Warfare from Indochina to Algeria, The Analysis of a Political and Military Doctrine. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1964. (H)
Guevara, Ernesto "Che." Che Guevara on Guerrilla Warfare. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publisher, 1961. (H)
Bern, Major H. von Dach. Total Resistance, Swiss Army Guide to Guerrilla Warfare and Underground Operations. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1965. (H)
Guevara, Ernesto "Che". Guerrilla Warfare, A Method. Peking, PRC: Foreign Language Press, 1964. (P)
Clark, General Wesley K.. Waging Modern War, New York: Public Affairs Books, 2002. (P)(Original Source)
Clark, General Wesley K.. Winning Modern Wars, Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire. New York: Public Affairs Books, 2003. (P)(Original Source)
Still relevant today.......2007-06-20
Read this and understand the difficulties the US is encountering in Iraq.
Old Ways work.......2007-05-09
Some things never change, like an insurgency and how to fight them effectively! And due to he complex wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Galula's classic, written based on his experiences in the Algerian war during the 1950's, has been resurrected. A French Army Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Galula lays out in pretty good detail the necessary methods and procedures for counter-insurgency operations. Galula's clearly articulates that the counter-insurgency requires a methodical approach to defeating the enemy by aggressively controlling and isolating the population, developing a good intelligence program in order to insure to the same population that they are safe from reprisal from the insurgents. Kinetic attacks; killing people and destroying places will only alienate the people that you are trying to win over. I recommend this book for all who are trying to figure out how to defeat an insurgency. If I was a young or old military or State department official I would read this book and act on it's recommendations.
Book Description
What is hell like, and how does one avoid an eternity of torment? Bill Wiese shares his unforgettable experience during which God allowed him to see and feel the agony people endure in hell.
Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned from this with vivid details etched in his memory. He records an accurate account of his experience in this book, presenting more than three hundred scriptures that verify the horrors he endured and observed.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have Book.......2007-10-14
I have always been sceptical of stories about people claiming that they have went to Heaven or Hell. However, I saw the author on a television interview and that prompted me to purchase this book. His story has an ring of authenticity. The book describes the trip into Hell with vivid word pictures. It was facinating. The actual vision or trip takes up a small portion of the book. The balance of the book answers some very important questions that the average person would have after hearing the author's testimony. I feel that every Christian should read this book. You can't remain the same after reading about the author's experience. My husband is a Pastor, so we encounter questions regarding eternity frequently. I feel the information in this book will help us better answer questions that seeking individuals my have. A thank you goes to the author for being willing to tell his story. Its not easy to step forward with such a testimony.
A must read !.......2007-10-10
This book is indeed fascinating ! It gives one a taste of what hell is like and therefore it should prayerfully lead one to dedicate their life to Christ so that they have the assurance of Heaven.
Incredible Detailed book.......2007-10-10
So often a book on someone's experience of this sort is very vague. Bill is so incredibly detailed that you actually feel like you have no further questions about what Hell is like. His descriptions are so breath taking that I highly recommend not reading this before you go to bed. Be prepared to get your socks scarred off you. I couldn't sleep for weeks after reading this book. I now purchase a number of them to hand out during Halloween. If someone wants to get scared enough to realize that God is real, the bible is accurate, and life is not to be wasted away, this is the book to read. It is life changing.
Baffled.......2007-10-06
Honestly everyone this is a must read. I can't not explain how much it touches a person, or atleast makes them think about what if? I am currently in Iraq right now for the 3rd time, and I got some down time and I read this book. Two hours and 136 pages later I was laying there baffled that I just read the whole book and enjoyed every minute of it. Not a dull moment in it at all. It makes you just want to fall down on your knee's and praise god, and tell him you love him over and over and over again. Such a good book! God Bless you all.
23 minutes in Hell.......2007-10-06
For those that might say "there is no heaven and hell" this is a good book to get for them to read...easy read and frightening..if it were me, I would pair it with "90 minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper..the two hand in hand would sum it all up. Know which destination I would choose!
Book Description
Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes readers on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people.
Fighting at 25,000 feet in thin, freezing air that no warriors had ever encountered before, bomber crews battled new kinds of assaults on body and mind. Air combat was deadly but intermittent: periods of inactivity and anxiety were followed by short bursts of fire and fear. Unlike infantrymen, bomber boys slept on clean sheets, drank beer in local pubs, and danced to the swing music of Glenn Miller's Air Force band, which toured U.S. air bases in England. But they had a much greater chance of dying than ground soldiers. In 1943, an American bomber crewman stood only a one-in-five chance of surviving his tour of duty, twenty-five missions. The Eighth Air Force lost more men in the war than the U.S. Marine Corps.
The bomber crews were an elite group of warriors who were a microcosm of America -- white America, anyway. (African-Americans could not serve in the Eighth Air Force except in a support capacity.) The actor Jimmy Stewart was a bomber boy, and so was the "King of Hollywood," Clark Gable. And the air war was filmed by Oscar-winning director William Wyler and covered by reporters like Andy Rooney and Walter Cronkite, all of whom flew combat missions with the men.
The Anglo-American bombing campaign against Nazi Germany was the longest military campaign of World War II, a war within a war. Until Allied soldiers crossed into Germany in the final months of the war, it was the only battle fought inside the German homeland.
Strategic bombing did not win the war, but the war could not have been won without it. American
airpower destroyed the rail facilities and oil refineries that supplied the German war machine. The bombing campaign was a shared enterprise: the British flew under the cover of night while American bombers attacked by day, a technique that British commanders thought was suicidal.
Masters of the Air is a story, as well, of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. It ends with a vivid description of the grisly hunger marches captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed.
Drawn from recent interviews, oral histories, and American, British, German, and other archives, Masters of the Air is an authoritative, deeply moving account of the world's first and only bomber war.
Customer Reviews:
A "must read" for all those interested in WW II........2007-10-10
This monumental work covers the bomber war in Europe in a more complete way than any other book I have read including anything the great Martin Caidin has written. Mr. Miller tells the story from the perspectives of the tail gunners, waist gunners, radiomen, bombadiers, navigators, co-pilots and pilots as well as the generals who devised the strategys. All aspects of the war are covered from the original construction of the air bases to airplane maintenance to training to missions to time-off at local village pubs. Unlike other books, this one covers the POWs and their horrendous plight especially as the war is winding down and the Nazis more them from location to location ahead of the advancing Allies. Miller also includes stories about Capt. Tibbets of Hiroshima fame and a fascinating story of Chuck Yeager's escape from occupied Europe through Spain and his subsequent return to combat, something almost never allowed because re-patriated flyers knew too much about the french underground that would jeapordize lives if they were shot down a second time. Also of interest was information about what happened to crewmen who elected to land in "neutral" Switzerland in wounded ships. I recommend this book highly.
Masters of the Air.......2007-09-11
A marvelous story about the WW II air war over Europe. Full of interesting details and descriptions. I have shared it with friends that did their 35 missions, and they concur.
The Story of the "Mighty Eighth".......2007-09-08
This well-written and exhaustively researched book chronicles the rise of the American Eighth Air Force from its early days in England to VE Day in 1945.
At the outset of the war, the British believed that night bombing was the best way to attack German cities and industry. However, once America entered the war, they chose a philosophy different from that of the British. The Americans believed that daylight precision strategic bombing was the only way to defeat the Germans. The British, on the other hand, still favored nighttime area bombing. This difference of opinion between the Americans and British was never really settled, but by combining the "round the clock" attacks of American planes during the day and British planes at night, the Germans faced an unending stream of planes and bombs.
When the Eighth flew their first mission in the fall of 1942, they could barely muster thirty planes, but at the end of the war, they were putting up well over one thousand, with several hundred fighter escorts as well. The German Luftwaffe could not match these incredible numbers of planes, and, despite such tactics as underground production and introducing the world's first jet fighter, there was little they could do to stop the Allied bombing.
Differences also existed between the British and Americans regarding target selection. The British favored carpet bombing Germany's cities with little or no regard for civilian casualties. The Americans favored targeting German industry (synthetic oil production, ball bearings, and transportation hubs). The Americans believed that the systematic destruction of the German economy would bring about surrender quicker than the British belief of "terror attacks" designed to break the will of the German people.
An interesting point made by the author is whether or not strategic bombing was effective against the Germans. A preponderance of the evidence would suggest that the answer to this question is "yes", but there are some compelling counter-points made in the book.
This is a fine work of aviation history. The book is well-researched and is easy to read and understand. Every aspect of the Allied bomber offensive in Europe is covered in great detail. The author also includes many personal testimonials from the men who flew the B-17s and B-24s against the Germans. An interesting chapter is also devoted to the Swiss government and how they treated "captured" Allied fliers. The terrifying incendiary raid on Dresden as well as the horrific destruction of Berlin is also told in vivid detail.
I give this fine book my highest recommendation. If you're looking for information on the Eighth Air Force and the air war over Europe, this is the book to read.
Does anyone at Simon & Schuster proofread?.......2007-09-04
Mr. Miller's book includes not only substantial research into prior publications but very interesting research based on letters and interviews he's found on his own. It's a good book. But if you're a member of the word police you'll be annoyed by the many proofreading errors. Here's a sample: "In the heavily defended Ruhr, with its permanent cloud of industrial smoke, the number was only in ten." (p.54) Should have been "within ten miles." Some errors are so simple a spell checker would have caught them: (p.199) "spining" for spinning. And there are some factual errors as well. Miller attributes contrails to wingtips. They're created by engines. It's much easier to criticize than to write. Still, S&S should have, with the several editors listed in the acknowledgments, caught the errors. I have no idea whether they have been corrected in the paperback.
The Unsung Heroes of The Eighth Air Force.......2007-08-26
This is an overdue tribute to those young men who gave their lives, in great numbers, fighting the air war over Germany in WWII.To those who think WWII was fought without major tatical errors, this book will be a revelation. In tribute to the kids who lost their lives in this bloody effort, everyone should be required to read this story. If you thought that service in the Air Force was a cake walk read this book.
Average customer rating:
- An outstanding vision of the sad reality of this world.
- Amazingly tragic and beautifully awful
- A look at the true horrors of this world!
- Amazing!! Print Quality.
- Um relato dantesco e honesto da nossa época
|
Inferno
James Nachtwey
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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ASIN: 0714838152 |
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Though he is probably the world's most honored recent war photographer, James Nachtwey calls himself an "antiwar photographer," as the preeminent critic Luc Sante notes in his excellent foreword to Inferno, a landmark collection of 382 war-crime photos. Nachtwey has taken shrapnel and had his hair literally parted by a bullet, but he's never lost his compassionate outrage. The stunning images in this huge-format book--brutally abused Romanian orphans, Rwandan genocide victims, a rat-hunter family of Indian Untouchables barbecuing dinner, skeletal dehydration victims in Sudan, the miserable in Bosnia, Chechnya, Zaire, Somalia, and Kosovo--are excruciating to look at, yet impossible to tear your eyes away from. Nachtwey's art is meant to force us to face unbearable facts. Faces are the key: you can't gaze into the eyes of a Romanian toddler tied to a bed, or wired to a primitive "electromagnetic therapy" device, and not grasp the horror more fully than you would by watching a TV news item or reading a newspaper piece. (The book's text explains each photo's context.)
Inferno is also a masterpiece in strictly aesthetic terms. The power of Nachtwey's images transcends journalism. Bloody handprints on a living-room wall in Kosovo, the ghostly imprint of a Serb victim's vanished body on a floor, a Hutu with crazed eyes displaying the machete gashes he received for opposing the Tutsis' butchery, a howling orphan in a crib, one eye contracted in anger--these are compositions that depend, like Goya's, on the artist's skill as much as the subject's legitimate claim on our conscience.
Nachtwey's photographs make us capable of imagining that it could have happened to us. They are hard to forget, or forgive. --Tim Appelo
Book Description
Though he is probably the world's most honored recent war photographer, James Nachtwey calls himself an "antiwar photographer," as the preeminent critic Luc Sante notes in his excellent foreword to Inferno, a landmark collection of 382 war-crime photos. Nachtwey has taken shrapnel and had his hair literally parted by a bullet, but he's never lost his compassionate outrage. The stunning images in this huge-format book--brutally abused Romanian orphans, Rwandan genocide victims, a rat-hunter family of Indian Untouchables barbecuing dinner, skeletal dehydration victims in Sudan, the miserable in Bosnia, Chechnya, Zaire, Somalia, and Kosovo--are excruciating to look at, yet impossible to tear your eyes away from. Nachtwey's art is meant to force us to face unbearable facts. Faces are the key: you can't gaze into the eyes of a Romanian toddler tied to a bed, or wired to a primitive "electromagnetic therapy" device, and not grasp the horror more fully than you would by watching a TV news item or reading a newspaper piece. (The book's text explains each photo's context.)Inferno is also a masterpiece in strictly aesthetic terms. The power of Nachtwey's images transcends journalism. Bloody handprints on a living-room wall in Kosovo, the ghostly imprint of a Serb victim's vanished body on a floor, a Hutu with crazed eyes displaying the machete gashes he received for opposing the Tutsis' butchery, a howling orphan in a crib, one eye contracted in anger--these are compositions that depend, like Goya's, on the artist's skill as much as the subject's legitimate claim on our conscience. Nachtwey's photographs make us capable of imagining that it could have happened to us. They are hard to forget, or forgive. --Tim Appelo
Customer Reviews:
An outstanding vision of the sad reality of this world........2007-08-23
This book is not made to be placed in every hands. But everyone old enough to face the sad reality and the ugly side of the human kind should have a look at it.
Amazingly tragic and beautifully awful.......2007-08-19
I have owned this book for roughly four years now and somehow manage to revisit it at least twice a year. The images are hauntingly beautiful. Nachtwey has a real gift for photography, for capturing that perfect image, with the perfect contrast, stark, naked and vivid. I feel as if I have been not merely an onlooker of these devastatingly breathtaking images, but as though I have been there.
Inferno was the first exposure to Nachtwey I had had, and it certainly has not been the last. His work is amazing.
A look at the true horrors of this world!.......2007-08-03
Awesome, shocking, disturbing, eye opening, these just begin to describe the feelings and emotions of this book. The photographs of mans inhumanity to his fellow man go beyond those images we see on the nightly news. James Nachtwey shows us the world of war, famine and poverty. It is eye opening. For anyone who collects books of photography, this is a must, but, it is not a coffee table book. This is one that you keep in reserve for those days when you think your life if bad or tough. Take it down from the shelf, open it and realize just how hard it could be!.
Amazing!! Print Quality........2007-05-14
What can i say.
It's just wonderful print quality most of Photobook which i bouht.
and Large photo is good too.
Um relato dantesco e honesto da nossa época.......2007-05-11
Uma obra obrigatória para quem acompanha o melhor do fotojornalismo nos últimos 50 anos. Um relato duro, profundo e honesto dos horrores criados pelo homem: Romênia, Somália, Índia, Sudão, Bósnia, Ruanda, Zaire, Chechênia e Kosovo.
Ressalte-se a força extrema das composições de James Nachtwey, valorizadas pela encadernação primorosa em capa dura e pelas grandes ampliações em PB.
Um livro forte, mas profundamente necessário para quem quer reconhecer o lado menos poético do nosso tempo.
Amazon.com
Popular speaker and bestselling author Beth Moore writes that one of the purposes of Praying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds is to help readers "downsize anything that has a hold on you," including pride, addiction, depression, and lack of forgiveness. This is no name-it-and-claim-it book; rather, it's a thoughtful guide for structured prayer, using the Bible as the framework to build upon. She invites readers to demolish their particular strongholds with "two sticks of dynamite: scripture and prayer," and gives both those new to prayer and seasoned prayer veterans the ability to do so. Chapters are arranged topically, and there are blank pages included for personalized prayers on each subject. To emphasize her points, Moore also scatters nuggets of wisdom throughout the text from writers such as Jim Cymbala, Kay Arthur, Charles Spurgeon, and Francis Frangipane. Even when the "stronghold" has been demolished, Moore urges readers to continue to pray God's Word for general maintenance purposes. It's a message that has found a tremendous amount of resonance with readers for its life-changing potential. --Cindy Crosby
Book Description
How do Christians learn to practice 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5, "tearing down strongholds by captivating our minds with the knowledge of God"? Beth Moore teaches that to be set free from each and every stronghold which claims our lives, we have to replace it with the mind of Christ and fervent daily prayer. Praying God's Word is a topical prayer guide addressing fourteen strongholds and what Scripture reveals about each issue. The Scriptures are presented in prayer form to be incorporated into the daily prayer life as a way of letting God's Word, through prayer, help you overcome the strongholds of bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, and other areas as well.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-09-22
This is a very good book. I would highly recommend this book if there are areas in your life where you need deliverance.
Life changing info.......2007-08-07
This book came into my life about 7 years ago when I needed some specific direction to help me heal after a destructive marriage and humiliating divorce.
I purchased this for a relative who is going through personal challenges.
Excellent!.......2007-07-23
This book makes a great group study. it really helps identify the stronholds we face and helps show how God's word can help us overcome them!
A Boost to Your Prayer Life.......2007-06-12
I found the sections of scripture in this book that Beth Moore paraphrased into prayers to be very uplifting and inspiring to pray. The prayers help to focus and renew one's mind with God's truth. I don't necessarily care for her devotional sections at the beginning of each chapter but just read the scripture.
Covers everything!.......2007-05-16
This book gives you scripture for every area of potential stronghold in your life, even those you may not be aware of. A must in your devotions, and a real eye opener!
Average customer rating:
- Good Book!
- The little book G.W. should have read
- beautiful little book!
- The Art of War for Lilliputians......
- Too Small
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The Art of War: (Miniature book)
Sun-Tzu
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
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ASIN: 0762415983
Release Date: 2003-07-29 |
Book Description
The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu is universally recognized as the greatest military strategist in history, a master of warfare interpretation. This condensed version of his influential classic imparts the knowledge and skills to overcome every adversary in war, at the office, or in everyday life.
Download Description
The art of war is an excellent reference for anyone who commands a military force and needs guidance.Perhaps a buisiness owner or manager would find similar qualities between the book and their situation.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book!.......2007-08-10
The book arrived in the mail very quickly and in great condition. The book was a lot smaller than I thought it be, but that is ok.
Thank you
The little book G.W. should have read.......2007-05-14
Wisdom in a little book, what more can I say. Required reading at any military Academy,worth a damn {G.W. AWOL} Oh well. It translates thur the technological advances.
beautiful little book!.......2007-04-10
a must-have classic sent in great conditions! a collectable item without a doubt!
The Art of War for Lilliputians.............2007-03-19
I'm sure the text is fin, however wha I received was a 3" x 3" micro book that's all but unreadable. What's worse is there was no indication in it's listing that I could find that said it was a book for munchkins.
Not happy.
Too Small.......2007-03-10
Alot of the important writings were left out of this book. It was a bad idea not to read the review before buying.
Book Description
This is the revised edition of the original Three Battlegrounds book. Along with some slight text changes, it has an additional chapter.
This book explores the three arenas of spiritual warfare that the maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church and the heavenly places. It provides a foundation of insight, wisdom and discernment on the nature of the battle and the keys to victory.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-10-02
Not only is the author a great writer, but he possesses an insight that is rare in our day and age. I also liken this book to "A Step into Deliverance," by Toni Pugh. He deals skillfully and autobiographically about his struggle and victory over the spirit of Jezebel. I highly recommend it.
material for mature christian.......2007-09-10
This is an excellent book on spiritual warfare as a mature christian desiring to go to next level in Christ.
It will give you insight into spiritual realm and also allow you to see where you are needing deliverance,what deception you are living in.
Lies are exposed in this book and awesome truth is revealed for the believer.
Knowledge applied = Wisdom You will get this in this book!
Change of Pace from Traditional Christian Reading.......2007-08-25
I really liked the stark, in-your-face style. Too many Christian books seem vague, ambiguous, and isolated from the "real world". This was a great wake up call to the "real" spiritual war we're waging.
Excellent Teaching.......2007-07-13
Clear, precise and indepth teaching on spiritual warfare. I have bought several copies for others and continue to reread this profound book to keep these truths in the forefront of my mind and daily Christian living.
The Three Battlegrounds.......2007-07-08
This book is an EYE OPENER on spiritual warfare. I purchased three copies and am sharing it some of the members of my church. They all say they will be purchasing a copy of this amazing book for their own library. In Sister Jeannette's words, "This is a must have in my bookcase".
The author uses scripture to support each claim made in the book. A MUST HAVE for sure.
God Bless,
Vivian
Brookly, NY
Book Description
Winning the Battle in your Mind. There's a War Going On And Your Mind Is The Battlefield. If you're one of millions who suffer from worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger or condemnation, you are experiencing an attack in your mind. Overcoming negative thoughts that come against your mind brings freedom and peace. Find out how to recognize damaging thought patterns and stop them from influencing your life. In this powerful book, best-selling author and conference host, Joyce Meyer, guides you through an honest self-appraisal by sharing the trials, tragedies and ultimate victories of her own marriage, family and ministry- including the truth she learned about what she was thinking and feeling every step of the way. You'll gain insight into how Joyce won the battle in her own mind- and how you can as well. You'll also discover how to: -Find peace and stop brain-storm of mental activity. -See the truth by thinking correctly. -Use spiritual weapons effectively. -Overcome the 10 wilderness mentalities that hold you in harmful circumstances. Don't surrender to misery another day. Find out today what you can do to ensure your victory in the Battlefield of the Mind!
Customer Reviews:
VERY good book!.......2007-09-21
This is a definite recommend! It really makes you aware of what's going through your head and holds you accountable.
Great for a new Christian, too...for those moments of "self-doubt" that are really demonic!
Everyone Should Read This!.......2007-07-27
This book by Joyce Meyer is excellent and provides the needed information that all people need. It is written in an "easy to understand" style and can be applied to one's life immediately. Hope and confidence are attributes of this writing. Thanks, Joyce.
Excellent.......2007-07-21
I just love how Joyce talks on a level I can understand and apply to my life. This is a great book for renewing the mind, breaking bondages and strongholds and finally getting free from the condemning talk in our heads. Highly recommended reading.
Joyce's Best Book.......2007-07-21
I have had this book for many many years, in my opinion it is the best book Joyce Meyers has ever written, as it is still as good today as when she first published it.
Review: Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind.......2007-07-16
This has to be one of my FAVORITE books by Joyce Meyer. A truly life changing read... I have owned this book for several years and have reread it several times. I highly recommend picking this up.
Average customer rating:
- The dialogue fairly crackles.
- Excellent end to the series
- i think its running out of gas but its still got some go juice
- Different than its predecessors
- An excellent novel that stands on its own merits.
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The Last Colony
John Scalzi
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Ghost Brigades
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Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1)
ASIN: 0765316978
Release Date: 2007-04-17 |
Book Description
Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up.
That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game--as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.
Customer Reviews:
The dialogue fairly crackles........2007-10-15
The tone of "The Last Colony" (2007) is somewhat gentler than the first two books in this series "Old Man's War" and "The Ghost Brigades." That allows Scalzi to cover fresh ground with his characters John Perry and Jane Sagan, as well as their adopted daughter Zoe. There are a few surprises in store, especially for Jane, but all the apparent loose ends are tied up nicely by the novel's end.
As usual, Scalzi's journalistic experience is evident to *this* TV reporter's eye and ear, in both his narrative and dialogue. I found myself saying, "I've had conversations like that with *real* people!" There's notably less profanity and "extracurricular activity" than the first two books in this series. I'm also looking forward to the next volume in the series, entitled "Zoe's Tale" (2008).
Excellent end to the series.......2007-10-05
The Last Colony is the third book in the series. If you haven't read the other two, Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, then I urge you to get your hands on them and read them. The Ghost Brigades was probably my favorite of the series, but really, all of the books, including the novelette, The Sagan Diaries, are good and contribute to the overall story arc.
As of this moment, I think this may be the weakest book of the three, but don't take that as a criticism. I often find it takes me a little while after reading a story to fully appreciate it. By writing this review right away I'm being unfair. I haven't had time to appreciate the subtleties.
I'm amazed by how well Scalzi was able to surprise me with the story. Yet, he somehow, comfortingly, allowed me to predict a few things. I like that combination.
The story progressed at a good pace, constantly keeping me entertained, unlike Excession, where I felt bogged down for days and weeks suffering through what seemed like mindless background to get to the good stuff. In the end Excession paid off, but I didn't have to wait until the ending twist for The Last Colony to pay off.
*** Spoilers Below ***
Even though I feel all glowy about the book, I do have a few complaints. I didn't feel much for the new characters. When Hiram Yoder is killed it should be a poignant scene, but it isn't. Yes, I feel a loss of someone important to the colony, but not to the story. Even Savitri, who is an interesting character to be sure, lacks the depth that gives me any feeling for her. Hickory and Dickory are the only new characters that I really felt a sense of attachment.
I felt much more for the characters introduced in the other two novels: John, Jane, Jared, Harry, even Szilard and Boutin.
I'm also a little disappointed that the werewolves disappeared after a critical scene. What happened between them and the colony? Was it possible to negotiate? I know it would have needlessly extended the book to go into those details, but I still wonder.
Overall though, it's an excellent end to the series. Scalzi wrapped up the plot and the series in a happy ending without making it sappy or unbelievable. In the afterward he said he wouldn't be coming back to these characters. Although I'll miss them, I'm glad. As I get older my patience for long series grows short. Even though each book he's written so far can stand alone, I don't think I could stand another 10 year series.
He hasn't left out the possibility of returning to the world again one day and I look forward to new stories from this world.
i think its running out of gas but its still got some go juice.......2007-10-02
While this novel didn't have the charm that old man's war did, it was entertaining to a point. the political motivations were a bit obscure and never felt real for me. A large build up in the colonization phase that never fulfills any depth it ends with too neat of a solution for my taste. I'm trying to not spoil any plot elements here but i think if the universe is a messy place its gonna have some messy endings, no?
Different than its predecessors.......2007-09-10
"The Lasr Colony", alas, is also the last of a trilogy that began with the brilliant "Old Man's War" and was followed by the inventive "The
Ghost Brigades". The first two volumes literally crackled with excitement, very interesting future technology and reverberated with good old-fashioned space combat.
John Perry, hero of "Old Man's War" and Jane Sagan, formerly of the Colonial Special Forces, have taken up housekeeping on the colony planet Huckleberry. With their adopted teenage daughter Zoe, they live a reasonably content, if placid life. (Without ever saying so, Scalzi does lead you to think about why anyone would want to be a colonist anywhere, any time, regardless of the technology available. In a way, Scalzi describes a simple life that would drive most urbanites out of their minds in short order.)
One day General Rybicki appears on the planet to make Perry and Sagan an offer they can't refuse: take leadership of a new colony to be established by the Colonial Union. Reluctantly Perry and Sagan accept and become the leaders of Roanoke, a new colony of Earthlings.
A rather large problem looms since an (unbelievably) secret organization of more than 400 races from around the Universe have formed the Conclave which has ordered that no new single race colonies be created. (Scalzi's Universe, by the way, is not at all a peaceful place.)
Unlike the two earlier volumes, "The Last Colony" is largely a story about interstellar politics and old-fashioned diplomatic gameplaying. Sadly it is not nearly as exciting as its predecessors. There's not a whole lot of science in this fiction.
Scalzi, in earlier works, did a bang-up job of centering the story individually on Perry and then on Sagan. This time, he tries to spread the attention over Perry, Sagan, the young Zoe and her Obin bodyguards, hostile (but humane) generals, local political opponents . . . and, frankly, too many people. Scalzi doesn't fail, but he does dilute the power of his writing.
Overall, "The Last Colony" is a good read, but probably only if you've read "Old Man's War" and "The Ghost Brigades". Scalzi tries to fill in the backstory, but really can't. Standing alone, I don't think "The Last Colony" would have made a lot of sense.
Like many, I am sorry to see the end of the John Perry and Jane Sagan characters, at least in the roles we'vd become accustomed to. By the same token, Scalzi is a very strong writer and I will be interested in seeing what next springs from his imagination. (I also recommend Scalzi's The Android's Dream).
Jerry
An excellent novel that stands on its own merits........2007-08-28
Although I did not read the first two novels in this trilogy (an oversite I intend to correct), the author has created such a wonderful novel here that I found it to stand out amongst the deluge of science fiction books that have past across my desk recently. Scalzi gives you enough background on the main characters, and weaves his intricate plotline through one of the most successful excercises in "world building" that I have seen. I found myself wrapped up in the storyline, and dreaded any interruption that took me away from this book. The author has a witty, clean style of writing that is a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend another of Scalzi's novels: "The Android's Dream" which was originally published in late 2006.
Customer Reviews:
Helps Gain Better Understanding of the Physiology of War on Loved Ones.......2007-09-25
This book was a recommended read by a family member to help understand the impact of war on the brave men and women that serve our country. I really enjoyed reading it and could not help to think of my Grandfather during many of the chronicles. If you want to understand your loved one better after returning from war, read this book. I am thankful I did.
If You Want to Understand: A Review of "On Killing".......2007-08-09
Because most of the individuals who know me are aware that I love to read, they often recommend books that they think I would enjoy reading. Many of the books that I have reviewed in The White Rhino Report came to my attention through personal recommendations. "On Killing - The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is no different, except for the fact that at least a half dozen of my friends told me that I needed to read this book. The curious thing about their recommendations was that each individual expressed his feelings about this book in almost identical terms. Each of these warriors, knowing that they were speaking to someone who has not served in the military, used a phrase like: "If you want to understand . . . you need to read `On Killing'!"
They did not say, "If you want to understand me," or "If you want to understand war," or even "If you want to understand the heart of a warrior." They left the statement hanging: "If you want to understand . . ." That truncated expression served as an all-encompassing statement that includes all of the above - and so much more.
Having read, and been captivated by, this singular book, I feel that I have begun to understand in a new way. Grossman, a decorated former Army Ranger, paratrooper and member of the faculty at West Point, has placed on the table for discussion what I would call "The Warrior's Secret." The overarching impression that Grossman left me with is that each warrior who has faced combat secretly struggles for the rest of his life with one of three powerful sets of emotions:
1) If he has been called upon to kill in battle, he wrestles with a haunting guilt over having overcome the basic human instinct not to kill our own kind. That wrestling can often lead to severe PTSD.
2) If he was faced with an opportunity to kill an enemy combatant, but chose not to kill, or found himself incapable of killing, he suffers from the secret shame and humiliation of having failed to carry out that which he was trained to do - that which defines a true warrior.
3) If he served in the military in a role that was not combat arms, or if he never had an opportunity to engage an enemy, he wonders how he would have responded if faced with that life-or-death decision. And he secretly feels like he never truly became a warrior.
For much of history, the warrior code made if difficult, if not impossible, for an individual to speak honestly about these struggles. Our military has come a long way in the past several generations in terms of understanding these psychological and emotional dynamics of warfare, and in terms of giving permission for veterans and active duty military personnel to speak openly and honestly about these formerly taboo topics. Grossman has carved out a second career in publicly and privately offering this explicit permission to those who have served in combat and who wrestle with these persistent struggles.
As soon as I finished reading the book, I placed a call to my friend, Kevin. He was one of those who had told me to read the book. He is a veteran of two deployments to Iraq. I wanted to test out on Kevin the validity of what I describe above as "The Warrior's Secret." Kevin not only confirmed that I was on the right track and was beginning to "Get it," but he also added the following comments:
"Now you need to read Grossman's next book - `On Combat.' It is more comprehensive in scope than `On Killing.' In each unit I have served in, we made sure that there was a copy of each of these books available to us to help us survive. They function as a sort of a psychological survival manual."
(Based on Kevin's recommendation, I immediately ordered "On Combat." I plan to review that book within the next few days. Stay tuned!)
To give you a direct sense of how insightful and revolutionary Grossman's writing is, I will share with you several excerpts. Grossman lays on the table the idea that historically in combat, many warriors have shied away from making a kill when they were given an opportunity to do so.
"The simple fact appears to be that, like S.L.A. Marshall's riflemen of World War II, the vast majority of rifle- and musket-armed soldiers of previous wars were consistent and persistent in their psychological inability to kill their fellow human beings. Their weapons were technologically capable , and they were physically quite able to kill, but at the decisive moment each man became, in his heart, a conscientious objector who could not bring himself to kill the man standing before him" (Page 27)
"There is ample indication of the existence of the resistance to killing and that it appears to have existed at least since the black powder era. This lack of enthusiasm for killing the enemy causes many soldiers to posture, submit, or flee, rather than fight; it represents a powerful psychological force on the battlefield; and it is a force that is discernible throughout the history of man. The application and understanding of this force can lend new insight to military history, the nature of war, and the nature of man." (Page 28)
"That the average man will not kill even at the risk of all he holds dear has been largely ignored by those who attempt to understand the psychological and sociological pressures of the battlefield. Looking another human being in the eye, making an independent decision to kill him, and watching as he dies due to your action combine to form the single most basic, important, primal and potentially traumatic occurrence of war. If we understand this, then we understand the magnitude of the horror of killing in combat. . . Why is this not often discussed? If Johnny can't kill, if the average soldier will not kill unless coerced and conditioned and provided with mechanical and mental leverage, then why has it not been understood before?" (Pages 30-31)
Grossman makes a compelling case that the poor rate at which soldiers in World Wars I and II fired their weapons when called upon to do so led to a revolution in the way in which subsequent generations of soldiers were trained - using operant conditioning techniques introduced by Skinner. As a consequence, firing rates in Korea climbed, and soared even higher in Vietnam. The result was an alarming increase in the incidence of PTSD among returning soldiers and Marines. Grossman argues that we learned to do a better job of turning men into killing machines, but we did not learn how to help them cope with the aftermath of what we had trained them to do.
"In both the Berkun and Shalit studies we see indications that fear of death and injury is not the primary cause of psychiatric casualties on the battlefield. Indeed, Shalit found that even in the face of a society and culture that tells soldiers that selfish fear of death and injury should be their primary concern, it is instead the fear of not being able to meet the terrible obligations of combat that weighs most heavily on the minds of combat soldiers. . . Research in this field has been that of blind men groping at the elephant - one grasps what he thinks is a tree, another finds a wall, and still another discovers a snake. All have a piece of the puzzle, but none is completely correct." (Page 53)
Grossman offers a fascinating look into the theory and practice of inoculating recruits and military cadets against hatred and other psychological factors.
"Combining an understanding of (a) those factors that cause combat trauma with (b) an understanding of the inoculation process permits us to understand that in most of these military schools the inoculation is specifically oriented toward hate.
The drill sergeant who screams into the face of a recruit is manifesting overt interpersonal hostility. Another effective means of inoculating a trainee against the Wind of Hate can be seen in U.S. Army and USMC pugil-stick training during boot camp or at the U.S. Military Academy and the British Airborne Brigade, where boxing matches are a traditional part of the training and initiation process. When in the face of all of this manufactured contempt and overt physical hostility the recruit overcomes the situation to graduate with honor and pride, he realizes at both a conscious and unconscious levels that he can overcome such overt interpersonal hostility. He has become partially inoculated against hate." (Page 82)
In the chapter entitled "The Burden of Killing," Grossman articulates what I see as his primary premise - and thereby offers his primary gift to the warrior community: opening up for discussion - both public and private - the secret burden that each warrior carries within his heart.
"The soldier in combat is trapped within this tragic Catch-22. If he overcomes his resistance to killing and kills an enemy soldier in close combat, he will forever be burdened with blood guilt, and if he elects not to kill, then the blood guilt of his fallen comrades and the shame of his profession, nation, and cause lie upon him. He is damned if he does, and damned it he doesn't." (Page 87)
The feedback I received from my friend, Kevin, reinforced my sense that Grossman's pioneering work has been enormously helpful to those called to serve in fields of fire in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere where our troops are deployed. The book provided me with a glimpse into the mind and heart of those who have been faced with the decision to kill or not to kill - a level of understanding I may not have been able to attain in any other way. Kevin's comment about the book's effectiveness in combat speaks loudly as a recommendation for all warriors to add this book to their arsenal of tools and weapons.
Speaking as one who has not been in combat, but who numbers among my friends many warriors, I recommend this book to anyone who desires to understand and to engage in meaningful conversation those friends and family members who have been called upon to make the awful choice to take a human life. One of the ways that we can show our gratitude to the warriors who bear these burdens that are almost unthinkable is to take a step towards them and make the effort to understand.
"If you want to understand" . . . read this book!
Al
A must read for all.......2007-07-10
A must have for any library. This book is even more important now that all the iraq war vets are returning. even if you are a civilian you should read this book to better understand what they have gone through. No matter what any man says, taking another humans life, even when justified, still changes a person. This book atemps to explain what that change is and why it happens.
A Book for Warriors.......2007-06-27
I believe LtCol Grossman was right on the mark and the book was very well thought out and the content was accurately researched.
This book should be read by all military and police. It gives a great insight into the repercussions of having to take someones life.
It also should be read by all of our elected officials so they can see what our society is turning into and why this is happening.
Amazing book........2007-06-17
This book delves deeply into the psychology of combat and killing and shows the relevency of this information in our everyday lives. The most exhaustive source on this topic that I have found. Very interesting read. Loads of excellent facts and information. Anyone can benefit from reading this book! Excellent overall message. If you have children, this book is a must read! Highly recommended.
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