With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

Book Description

In his own book, Wartime, Paul Fussell called With the Old Breed "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war." John Keegan referred to it in The Second World War as "one of the most arresting documents in war literature." And Studs Terkel was so fascinated with the story he interviewed its author for his book, "The Good War." What has made E.B. Sledge's memoir of his experience fighting in the South Pacific during World War II so devastatingly powerful is its sheer honest simplicity and compassion. Now including a new introduction by Paul Fussell, With the Old Breed presents a stirring, personal account of the vitality and bravery of the Marines in the battles at Peleliu and Okinawa. Born in Mobile, Alabama in 1923 and raised on riding, hunting, fishing, and a respect for history and legendary heroes such as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene Bondurant Sledge (later called "Sledgehammer" by his Marine Corps buddies) joined the Marines the year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and from 1943 to 1946 endured the events recorded in this book. In those years, he passed, often painfully, from innocence to experience. Sledge enlisted out of patriotism, idealism, and youthful courage, but once he landed on the beach at Peleliu, it was purely a struggle for survival. Based on the notes he kept on slips of paper tucked secretly away in his New Testament, he simply and directly recalls those long months, mincing no words and sparing no pain. The reality of battle meant unbearable heat, deafening gunfire, unimaginable brutality and cruelty, the stench of death, and, above all, constant fear. Sledge still has nightmares about "the bloody, muddy month of May on Okinawa." But, as he also tellingly reveals, the bonds of friendship formed then will never be severed. Sledge's honesty and compassion for the other marines, even complete strangers, sets him apart as a memoirist of war. Read as sobering history or as high adventure, With the Old Breed is a moving chronicle of action and courage.

Customer Reviews:

Gutted.......2007-10-08

I watched much of The War this weekend on PBS. Ken Burns leans heavily on Eugene Sledge's account of war, and that tells me that Burns at least knows genius writing when he reads it.

Sledge may be the best writer from the 20th century that most people have never heard of. His language is harrowing and detailed and does not spare any details about the chaos and misery and ineffable singular experience that is war. I truly believe that he lived through Peleliu and Okinawa, so he could compile his writings and share them with the world. How else can you explain the same person living through two of the nastiest battles of the 20th century?

Buy this book. Share it with everyone you know.

BEST WW2 BOOK EVER!!! ....so far............2007-10-04

This book was a pleasure to read. Not that I find pleasure in the horrors of war, I do not, but this book is so well written. I gets into the real nitty-gritties of every day life at war fighting a fearsome enemy. This book was the first book to ever give me a real glimpse of the totality of war on the foot soldier. There are many great books on WW2 out there, this definetly has to be one of the best! GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!! you wont regret it.

This is the best book ever written by an American Combat Veteran.......2007-10-04

This book is about combat. Nothing more. It is horrifying. It is well written. It is too well written. If you read this book, you will understand combat. Not "war", but combat. That's Mr. Sledge's goal. He wants the rest of us to understand the horror of combat. This is the best book on combat by an American combat veteran. The only combat book that is better is "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer, a German soldier on the Russian front during WWII. Both of these books will make you cry like a baby. Read them back to back & I promise that you will have nightmares.

My father on cover of later editions aiming weapon.......2007-10-03

I read the old copy of this twice. Imagine my surprise when my son sent me a blown up photo of the cover and I am staring at my father aiming his weapon as I remember him when he was young! He fought at Okinawa and out of his entire battalion only he and five others came back (& wounded at that). When I was little after the War, and Daddy was drinking, he used to describe some of war's horrors to my mother and his friends when he thought I wasn't listening. He would talk about a man named Sledge who was nicknamed, "Sledgehammer." Although my father kept his sense of humor about some of war's crazy happenings, he never recovered fully and drank when it became too much. He lost all of his buddies in battle. When Daddy died in 1981, I thought, "Well, he is with them, now." Sledge's accounts exactly match my father's from the late 1940s.

With The Old Breed.......2007-08-17

Wow!!! Sledge eloquently exposes the misery and ultimate madness of war. We owe much to our brave soldiers. All politicians should read this book to gain a sense of the sacrifice that our soldiers,past and present, have endured.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants, and Inns

Average customer rating:

Excellent guide
The best book for Kyoto!
Great book to show you the hidden shops and eateries
Magic!
A Must Have For Seeing The Real Kyoto

Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants, and Inns
Diane Durston
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 4770029942

Book Description

Down the cobbled paths and behind the tranquil noren curtains of Kyoto, the old way of life goes on, nurtured in the restrained furnishings of the traditional inns and in the old shops where fine handmade items still add a touch of quality to life. Since the first edition appeared in 1986, this lovingly written travelogue-cum-guidebook has become de rigueur For knowledgeable travelers seeking to find "the real Kyoto" behind the modern face of the city's constantly changing boulevards. Old Kyoto focuses on the family establishments that have been in business for at least a hundred years, and in some cases for over ten generations. Astonishingly, many of the old shops and inns of Kyoto can still be found on narrow backstreets, under the heavy, tiled rooftops of traditional machiya dwellings. Here, the adventurous traveler will uncover treasures: the way in which a hand-crafted calligraphy brush is bound, a miniature garden tended, a bamboo basket woven. For critics and travelers alike, Old Kyoto has long been regarded the essential guidebook to Japan's most cherished city. This second edition of Old Kyoto is completely updated. Shops have been added, and maps, prices, directions, descriptions, and general information have all been thoroughly revised.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent guide.......2007-07-12

Great to have a guide that is focused specifically to Old Kyoto. It offers information beyond that of other travel guides and is perfect if you are interested in finding special places that may otherwise be missed. The author's personal knowledge and experiences there add to the quality of the book.

The best book for Kyoto!.......2007-04-23

If you are visiting Kyoto for a few days or more, you need to purchase this book. The author tells you all of the amazing shops to go to that have real history and standing in Kyoto. When visiting these shops, I felt like I stepped into a piece of history. It isn't the only book you will need in Kyoto - I would also get The Rough Guide to Japan and use the Kyoto section or just another travel book on Kyoto that will provide info on temples and shrines. You can also just go to the visitors center at Kyoto station and get maps there. Bottom line: The old stores of Kyoto are slowly being replaced by new construction, so when visiting Kyoto makes sure to bring this book to see more than just temples and shrines !!

Great book to show you the hidden shops and eateries.......2007-04-03

My wife and I used this book all of the time while in Kyoto (Spring 2007). The shops in the book were truly some of the better ones although most were on the expensive side. The price does reflect the quality of the products though. Even though we couldn't afford some of the items it was still fun to window shop.
Some of the shops that aren't on the main streets are hard to find. It is not the fault of this book, its just that the streets aren't labeled in English style letters so you have no idea where you are. In our experience just ask someone in the nearby shops. They are always willing to help and very polite.

Magic!.......2007-03-09

This book is much more than a guide. It is a magical trip through the various shops and centres of old Kyoto. I read from cover to cover and am going back for more! The author takes a non-traditional approach to the subject and makes inumerable fascinating asides.
Surely, she has more of these for other places! If not, there is an opening there for someone!

A Must Have For Seeing The Real Kyoto.......2006-06-12

I wanted to visit the old shops of Kyoto, where they have been doing their craft for generations. I was able to find the few shops that I picked out ahead of time. They were all open and many had English literature on their products and history and some even had English speaking employees. So, don't be afraid to visit these charming shops.

I gave it 4 stars because although accurate, the book did not give very detailed directions. The articles provided a small map of the cross streets but when you get into the smaller streets, the signs are not in English. I bought a Osaka-Kyoto Atlas before I went and that was a great help in finding the smaller streets.

The book is full of traditional shops and inns and I would highly recommend buying it. Just do a little planning the night before and buy a good atlas and you will be fine.

A Descriptive Grammar of Early Old Japanese Prose (Brill's Japanese Studies Library)

Average customer rating:

A Descriptive Grammar of Early Old Japanese Prose (Brill's Japanese Studies Library)
John R. Bentley
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9004123083

Tales of Old Japan: Folklore, Fairy Tales, Ghost Stories and Legends of the Samurai

Average customer rating:

Historical tone

Tales of Old Japan: Folklore, Fairy Tales, Ghost Stories and Legends of the Samurai
A. B. Mitford
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486440621

Book Description

An engrossing array of stories, this entertaining volume chronicles an ancient culture. The book provides grisly accounts of revenge and knightly exploits, a fascinating eyewitness account of a hara-kiri ceremony, tales of vampires and samurai, Buddhist sermons, and the plots of four No plays. 38 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Historical tone.......2006-12-05

Folklore best describes the tone, although the sketches of the characters who are briefly seem more complex than similar European folklore. A pleasant read.

Japan's Software Factories: A Challenge to U.S. Management

Average customer rating:

Ahead of his time
Software factories now in India?
Cusumano's initial misconceptions about software

Japan's Software Factories: A Challenge to U.S. Management
Michael A. Cusumano
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

MIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

High-Tech | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Production & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0195062167

Book Description

Though Japan has successfully competed with U.S. companies in the manufacturing and marketing of computer hardware, it has been less successful in developing computer programs. This book contains the first detailed analysis of how Japanese firms have tried to redress this imbalance by applying their skills in engineering and production management to software development. Cusumano focuses on the creation of "software factories" in which large numbers of people are engaged in developing software in cooperative ways--i.e. individual programs are not developed in isolation but rather utilize portions of other programs already developed whenever possible, and then yield usable portions for other programs being written. Devoting chapters to working methods at System Developing Corp., Hitachi, Toshiba, NEC, and Fujitsu, and including a comparison of Japanese and U.S. software factories, Cusumano's book will be important reading for all people involved in software and computer technology, as well as those interested in Japanese business and corporate culture.

Customer Reviews:

Ahead of his time.......2006-01-23

Both of the previous viewers cite Japan's lack of success in the commercial software business as evidence the methodologies here are inherently inferior to either US or Indian approaches. They're not.

In fact, the evidence provided in Cusumano's more recent book, The Business of Software suggests that these methods work very well indeed. In the study reported in that book, Japanese development firms outperform US and Indian firms significantly on productivity and by an enormous margin on quality. I would suggest that this is a direct result of the programs described in this book and the gradual, but continuous improvements they produced.

Japan hasn't fared as well as the US in software products or as well as India in outsourcing, but that has more to do with other factors than with the methods described here. If Japan had India's labor rates, they could compete very well indeed in outsourcing. If they had America's entrepreneurial environment, venture capital community, educational system, language (English) and the world's largest domestic market, they might have done better in software products. As it is, comparing Hitachi's success in the software industry to, say Netscape's, is misleading. Compare them instead to GE, Xerox, HP, etc., none of whom made a dent in the software industry either. Large corporations, almost universally, move too slow to capture an emerging software market.

One final note, these methods are NOT appropriate for a software startup, but as the software industry continues to mature, values such as productivity and quality will become increasingly important and Japan's software factories can deliver those qualities in spades. In that environment, methods geared to fast moving markets may put you at a disadvantage.

I would give this book five stars if it were more current.

Software factories now in India?.......2004-04-08

The explanation for what happened to Japanese software factories is in Cusumano's latest book, The Business of Software, which is a more valuable read. The Japanese factories tried to solve the problem of efficiently building custom systems for Japanese customers using mainframes. Cusumano still argues that the factory approach worked well for mainframe software but Japanese programmers didn't have the skills to shift to newer platforms (PCs, workstations). I think the author over-estimated what the Japanese would be able to do. The Japanese are still struggling with old-style development techniques, despite close to zero-bugs, according to recent data from Cusumano. The Indians adopted similar practices (standard dev techniques, reuse, statistical data) but with much better trained people, more adaptable processes, and have been able to handle a wide variety of systems requirements and technologies. I still find Japan's Software Factories a useful look at how Japanese and some U.S. companies made progress in software engineering, particularly their approach to quality control and testing, and reuse. The Indians have gone a step beyond Japan, but they had to start somewhere.

Cusumano's initial misconceptions about software.......1999-10-08

This is one of the earliest in a series of books that Cusumano has written on software technology. In this book he cries "Wolf!": the Japanese are so much better at industrial strength software development than Americans, they have a "software factory", etc., etc.

In his subsequent books, especially those on Microsoft and Netscape, Cusumano slowly discovers that the traditional software development process, requirements/specifications/code, etc., e.g. the waterfall model, is *NOT* the model adopted by successful software companies (and, indeed, not the model adopted by many hardware companies). He learns that designs are not something to be churned out by a factory - indeed, if they can be churned out, then they should be reusing exactly the same software.

In some ways the packaged software industry, e.g. Microsoft, supplanted the custom software industry in this timeframe, the time of the PC; Microsoft's process, which Cusumano calls "synchronize and stabilize", may be considered to be JIT (Just In Time) software specification and development. Or, if not Just In Time, As Soon As Possible and No Earlier than Necessary.

Book Description

Japanese Country Style introduces sixteen unique and sumptuous homes rescued by Yoshihiro Takishita, a professional antiquarian, and illustrates how his renovations rejuvenated these all-but-forgotten architectural gems. Takishita candidly discusses the thoughts and inspirations that led him to adapt and convert these centuries-old farmhouses for modern living. Chapters on their unique history and construction demonstrate the value of these towering traditional homes, and illustrate their place in Japanese rural life, where several generations often lived under the same roof which allowed for a horse in the stable area and silkworms in the attic. Japanese Country Style also showcases the artful blending of traditional Japanese elements with modern lifestyles. Tatami rooms, Japanese antiques, traditional wooden furniture, and other treasures fill the rooms of these homes, and evoke the understated elegance of country-style living. With over 200 photographs and illustrations of beautifully refurbished folk homes, this volume presents a portrait of a sublime yet simple way of life that will give anyone interested in design and architecture a host it useful ideas. This books adopts a bilingual format, providing both Japanese and English commentary.

Customer Reviews:

Japanese Country Style: Putting New Life into Old Houses.......2005-07-26

Enjoyable reading. The author lovingly describes how he relocated and remodeled a selection of traditional Japanese farm houses that otherwise would have been destroyed. The descriptions of each house includes anectodal notes as well as beautiful photos of the houses interiors & exteriors. Thank goodness there are people who are interested in preserving a nation's cultural heritage.

The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan

Average customer rating:

Unexplored Gilded Age Antics
Uneven but absorbing
Swept away
Informative but boring
"To open Japan culturally meant to open themselves in turn."

The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan
Christopher Benfey
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0375503277
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Book Description

When the United States entered the Gilded Age after the Civil War, argues cultural historian Christopher Benfey, the nation lost its philosophical moorings and looked eastward to “Old Japan,” with its seemingly untouched indigenous culture, for balance and perspective. Japan, meanwhile, was trying to reinvent itself as a more cosmopolitan, modern state, ultimately transforming itself, in the course of twenty-five years, from a feudal backwater to an international power. This great wave of historical and cultural reciprocity between the two young nations, which intensified during the late 1800s, brought with it some larger-than-life personalities, as the lure of unknown foreign cultures prompted pilgrimages back and forth across the Pacific.

In The Great Wave, Benfey tells the story of the tightly knit group of nineteenth-century travelers—connoisseurs, collectors, and scientists—who dedicated themselves to exploring and preserving Old Japan. As Benfey writes, “A sense of urgency impelled them, for they were convinced—Darwinians that they were—that their quarry was on the verge of extinction.”

These travelers include Herman Melville, whose Pequod is “shadowed by hostile and mysterious Japan”; the historian Henry Adams and the artist John La Farge, who go to Japan on an art-collecting trip and find exotic adventures; Lafcadio Hearn, who marries a samurai’s daughter and becomes Japan’s preeminent spokesman in the West; Mabel Loomis Todd, the first woman to climb Mt. Fuji; Edward Sylvester Morse, who becomes the world’s leading expert on both Japanese marine life and Japanese architecture; the astronomer Percival Lowell, who spends ten years in the East and writes seminal works on Japanese culture before turning his restless attention to life on Mars; and President (and judo enthusiast) Theodore Roosevelt. As well, we learn of famous Easterners come West, including Kakuzo Okakura, whose The Book of Tea became a cult favorite, and Shuzo Kuki, a leading philosopher of his time, who studied with Heidegger and tutored Sartre.

Finally, as Benfey writes, his meditation on cultural identity “seeks to capture a shared mood in both the Gilded Age and the Meiji Era, amid superficial promise and prosperity, of an overmastering sense of precariousness and impending peril.”

Customer Reviews:

Unexplored Gilded Age Antics.......2006-08-05

In 1854, Commodore Perry and his Black Ships sailed into Edo Harbor, demanding that the Japanese sign a commerce treaty acknowledging a new friendship with the United States. Over the next half century, a multitude of Americans would make the long voyage to Japan, hoping to discover that ancient and alien world known as Old Japan. In his book, The Great Wave, Christopher Benfey recounts the misadventures of characters like Henry Adams, John LaFarge, Herman Melville, Okakura Kakuzo, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many others.

Japan, for a short time, was an unexplored frontier for Gilded Age Americans. Some searched for spiritual fulfillment in Buddhism, like Henry Adams who traveled there after the death of his wife clover. He was overwhelmed by the funerary shrine at Nikko, but with other Americans in Japan, he was less impressed. Of Ernest Fenollosa, Adams wrote: "He has joined a Buddhist sect: I was myself a Buddhist when I left America, but he has converted me to Calvinism with leanings toward the Methodists."

Adams' traveling companion, the artist John LaFarge, went to Japan for artistic inspiration, which he found in spades. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, whose own architecture would be greatly influenced by Japanese conceptions of negative space, LaFarge found inspiration in everything from tea utensils and the kimono to Buddhist statuary and woodblock prints. Japanese art intrigued not only the artists, but the great collectors of art as well. Mrs. Jack Garner even created a Buddhist meditation room in her Fenway Court museum where she also displayed Japanese art collected by her good friend Okakura. Both the Peabody Essex Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston became the primary beneficiaries of this new interest in Old Japan.

Christopher Benfey has contributed greatly to an unexamined period in American history, which deserves greater attention. The Gilded Age is remembered almost exclusively as the domain of the Robber Barons, but The Great Wave reminds us that Japan was equally important (in fact setting the stage for 20th century events), warranting a trip from the great American mikado, President Ulysses S. Grant.

Uneven but absorbing.......2005-11-23

The first half or so of Benfey's account of the influence of Japanese culture on American arts and letters is very fine, particularly his chapters on Melville and Manjiro and on Edward Sylvester Morse. This is academic writing at its very best. Ultimately, as the Japanese influence on American taste becomes more pervasive, the book begins to sink under the sheer volume of information that must be conveyed in order to cover the ground. I found the last half informative, but that's because I have an interest in this particular period in American history and literature. Benfey's a fine writer and cultural historian, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Swept away.......2003-10-28

This is an excellent book on what Japan meant for the people who visited in the early days of the Meiji period. The author concentrates on a series of vignettes to explore the significance of Japanese culture in the lives of some of the leading US citizens of the period. It was not all just collections of fans and diets of raw fish. Some of these early travlers used a trip to Japan to acquire ancient artifacts (many of which are in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts), Henry Adams went on quest for nirvana, the artist John La Farge went with him and absorbed new artistic techniques that marked his subsequent work. The cast of characters also includes Isabelle Stewart Gardner and Theodore Roosevelt.
This is a very interesting book, sure to delight the reader who really wants to know what happens when west meets east.

Informative but boring.......2003-09-10

I had great hope for this book -- what promise! Tying together "gilded age misfits, Japanese eccentrics." The first chapter on John Manjiro and Melville has great narrative power, unfortunately the rest of the book falls into a poor mix of ties between New Englanders and the Japanese. One of my big problems with the book is that the Japanese presence is hardly felt -- instead we have long, winding chapters on Henry Adams, Percival Lowell, Mabel Todd, etc. (interesting people in their own right) but whose ties to Japan don't have the sustaining narrative power as those like Melville or Manjiro.

Mr. Benfey's book is definitely informative. I found his list of sources and quotations to be appetizing -- yet I could barely force myself to finish the book. Its focus is more on what the New Englanders, ok white Americans, came away with from Japan even if it was the boiled down crack of Okukura's "Book of Tea" or Nitobe Inazo's "Bushido." Thank god Okakura existed -- otherwise, Mr. Benfey would have not had any glue to keep his American characters in this book.

"To open Japan culturally meant to open themselves in turn.".......2003-07-20

The Meiji emperor's opening of Japan to trade in 1868 led to a relentless wave of Yankee artists, writers, and scientists who gravitated to Japan for the peaceful and beautiful alternatives it offered in the aftermath of America's Civil War. A coarse, business- and trade-centered culture of commercialism was replacing what they saw as America's old values as the country rebuilt, and they sought solace and inspiration in a completely different, aesthetic world. In this story of the remarkable interactions of Japanese and American intellectuals from 1868 - 1913, Benfey shows how the two cultures viewed each other, learned from each other, and influenced each other's future, focusing on the literary, artistic, and aesthetic legacy, rather than on the hard political realities.

Like a wave spreading outward in concentric circles, the intellectuals of New England radiated their enthusiasm for Japan and its traditions. The American travelers knew each other, learned from each other, and influenced each other. Edward Sylvester Morse of Salem, Massachusetts, was one of the first to make a life commitment to Japan, attracting in his wake Isabella Stewart Gardner, William Sturgis Bigelow, Percival Lowell, and artist Ernest Fenollosa. Isabella Stewart Gardner, in turn, introduced T.S. Eliot, Edith Wharton, and Henry and William James to Japanese art and thought, while historian Henry Adams and painter John La Farge attracted William Morris Hunt, architects H. H. Richardson and Frank Lloyd Wright, and others. Kakuzo Okakura, journeying to the U.S., had similar influence.

Benfey brings American and Japanese cultural history to life, creating real people with real emotions, problems, and commitments. His insight into the creative process adds verisimilitude to his portraits, and his ability to describe and evoke moods, whether they be in his recreation of samurai life or his depiction of a tired climber's first glimpse of Mt. Fuji, give a liveliness to the prose usually more characteristic of fiction than non-fiction. His nature imagery is so vibrant that the reader experiences journeys to the countryside alongside the participants.

In an Epilogue, which focuses on the year 1913, Benfey ties up the loose ends and finishes the stories of the characters on whom he has focused. His limited time frame has allowed him to explore America's influence on Japan in great detail, along with the "Japanese phenomenon" in this country, bringing to life the individuals who were responsible for it and illustrating the long-term effects. The book is a thoughtful and lively account of one of the most important cultural exchanges in history, and Benfey makes it both understandable and exciting. Mary Whipple

Average customer rating:

too spare and too short of ideas.

THIS OLD MAN, HE'S A PLAYER

Only read this book if you want to be REALLY entertained.

Thankyou Richard Brautigan

A good story

Diary of a Mad Old Man
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Japanese | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Boyhood, Growing Up Male: A Multicultural Anthology

Oleanna Oleanna

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts

Fight Club: A Novel

The Taming of the Shrew - Arden Shakespeare: (Arden Shakespeare)

ASIN: 0679730249
Release Date: 1991-07-30

Book Description

Diary of a Mad Old Man is the journal of Utsugi, a seventy-seven-year-old man of refined tastes who is recovering from a stroke. He discovers that, while his body is decaying, his libido still rages on -- unwittingly sparked by the gentle, kindly attentions of his daughter-in-law Satsuko, a chic, flashy dancer with a shady past. Pitiful and ridiculous as he is, Utsugi is without a trace of self-pity, and his diary shines with self-effacing good humor. At once hilarious and of a sadness, Diary of a Mad Old Man is a brilliant depiction of the relationship between eros and the will to live -- a novel of the tragicomedy of human existence.

Translated from the Japanese by Howard Hibbett

Customer Reviews:

too spare and too short of ideas........2003-08-14

tanizaki continues with his favorite form of the novel, a journal, which in itself is very trite today. the sad thing is that the diary of a mad old man really has very little in it. half the time he is sick and visiting the doctor, and frankly one doesnt care much about his health. the other half which is about his infatuation with his daughter in law is extremely interesting and their interplay is the stuff of magic. while it is exciting and titillating it is also strangely disappointing, for there is hardly any insight into the characters of the people inhabiting the old mans life to make whatever is happening seem plausible. and the little explanation at the end is exceedingly disappointing. a sort of hark back to the moralistic and righteous way of life. (*** mild spoiler ahead ***) the daughter in law character who was a joy as a vamp is turned into a saint who endured the old man's attentions and frankly that was such a let down.

surely, tanizaki is capable of more as his brilliant "Key" proves. skip ahead to that one.

THIS OLD MAN, HE'S A PLAYER.......2003-08-04

Junichiro Tanizaki is one of the most brillant Japanese writers of the last century. While best known for his family drama The Makioka Sisters, a lot of his books have to do with subjects more at home to Henry Miller. Tanizaki is a master of illustrating sexual obsession in novels that would be erotic if they weren't so haunted and disturbed.

The Diary of an Mad Old Man is kept by 77-year-old Utsugi as he is recovering from an earlier stroke which left him impotent with countless ailments that the elderly experience. Impossibly, he does find a way to have a sex life. His daughter, Satsuko, just happens to be young and beautiful, and Utsugi begins to lust for her more and more. He even tries to live out his fantasy by allowing Satsuko to rendezvous with her lover in his house, concealing the affair from his own son. By allowing Utsugi certain liberties with her body, Satsuko begins to replace his own family. For example, his daughter asks for a loan so that she can buy a house and Utsugi refuses her. He turns around and buys Satsuko a ring worth millions of yen. What follows is a slow dance, almost a tango of give and take in which neither Utsugi or Satsuko is the villain of the piece. They seem to actually GAIN by the immoral situation. They both get what they want.

Diary was a really good novel but it wasn't a great one compared with previous novels by Tanizaki that I have read. Sometimes the narrative dwells on boring details, but once it gets moving it picks up some power. To me, one of the hardest modes to write in is first person but the author really keeps the diary interesting. While I don't know if I would compare the characterization to that of Shakespeare, there is something of his comedy and tragedy in Tanizaki. Also seek out The Key and Quicksand.

Only read this book if you want to be REALLY entertained........2003-01-13

This book is incredibly entertaining.

Thankyou Richard Brautigan.......2002-01-26

Aside of his novels, I have Richard Brautigan to thank for introducing me to Junichiro Tanizaki (he dedicated "Sombrero Fallout" to Tanizaki).

"Diary of a Mad Old Man" was the first book by him I read (figuring that it was very short, less than a hundred pages, and concluding that - even if it was terrible - it would not take me all that long to read).

It tells the story of Utsugi (the mad old man of the title) and his relationship with his son's neglected wife, a former dancing girl called Satsuko. Now, on the surface at least, it appears that Satsuko, tired of the neglect imposed by Utsugi's son, decides to torment (perhaps torment is too strong a word - perhaps I mean tease - perhaps I mean something halfway between teasing and torment) Utsugi, inviting him into her shower, letting him kiss her bare foot.

The thing is. That title. "Diary of a Mad Old Man." We are reading the old man's diary and the old man is mad. Or at least, that is what the title would have us presume. And yet, the old man (our narrator after all) does not SEEM mad. Yes, okay, he is consumed by lust, at times, for Satsuko (but what old man wouldn't be?), but madness? The title leads me to doubt what I read. I wonder at times if we are inhabiting the dream world of a certain old man. (It would certainly account for why Satsuko is hot and cold and hot and cold.)

Still. There is a cool sensuality to the writing and it is without doubt a good introduction to an old master.

A good story.......2001-12-09

This is an interesting book about an elderly man named Utsugi who's in poor health; however, his sexual urges are pretty strong. He's infatuated with his daughter-in-law Satsuko, a former dancer with a murky past. He shares his thoughts about her with us in his diary along with his health afflictions, the various medications he takes and the different treatments he undergoes. This is a pretty good book that will hold your attention. While it is a good book, it isn't one of Junichiro Tanizaki's best. I recommend you start elsewhere with one of his other novels first like "The Key", then move on to some of his other works if you decide you like his writing.

The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai

Average customer rating:

*HOKUSAI SHOWS HOW TO AGE PURPOSEFULLY . . .*
Delightful in Words and Pictures

The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai
Francois Place
Manufacturer: David R Godine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Adventure & Thrillers | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1567922600

Product Description

In 1993, François Place's The Last Giants was universally acclaimed a work of great, if heartbreaking, originality. In this recent effort, he brings to life the immortal Japanese illustrator and printmaker Hokusai. And just as he made real the "land of the giants," so he brings the reader into the swirling and vibrant world of Tokyo. Trained early as an engraver, Hokusai studied under the master Sunsho, producing illustrated volumes of verse. His first manga volume followed in 1814, after he abandoned the traditional style of engraving to perfect the technique of the colored woodcut, in what many consider his greatest work, The 36 Views of Mt Fuji. His life was unsettled, his marriages uncertain, and his business affairs irregular, but his energy was boundless. He left for posterity thousands of sketches and drawings, illustrated books and prints, saying just before he died in 1889 "If heaven gives me ten more years (or even an extension of five), I shall certainly become a true artist."

The exuberance of his life is marvelously conveyed in Place's tribute to an artist who clearly ranks among his heroes. Both have the same genius for draughtsmanship, the perfectly defined, energetic stroke, the subtle wash. We see the humor and pathos of Hokusai's life, recorded through the eyes of a young apprentice. This is a lovely book by an artist and writer we consider among the very best of his generation.

Customer Reviews:

*HOKUSAI SHOWS HOW TO AGE PURPOSEFULLY . . .*.......2007-03-28

Francois Place has cleverly built this story about a mentoring relationship between the revered artist, Hokusai, and a young apprentice he names "sparrow." In the process of learning to serve "the old man mad about drawing" the sparrow, Tojiro, is introduced to the progressive stages of Hokusai's art. At first the old man seemed scraggly & wild to the boy; then he grew to appreciate the humor & many-faceted talents of the artist. Tojiro was taught to read, make inks and serve in many capacities.

Each time I hold this book the 'feel' of it pleases me. The font, Perpetua, is discussed in the back. There is also a Glossary - illustrated, naturally! The book's illustrations are plentiful and filled with the energy of Hokusai's "manga" - - the sketchbooks which also brought him fame. Because Francois Place is both author & illustrator of "The Old Man . . ." he had the freedom to paint chapter headings as vertical 'capsules' showing what each chapter is about. Place has a strong individual style that has brought him success as an illustrator, & Reviewer mcHAIKU is eager to search for his other titles.

The warmth of the relationship between teacher and student is shown when, during a walk together, the master whispers to Tojiro, "Learn to look in silence, if you don't want noise to drive away the beauty of fragile things that are before your eyes." On page 96, Place has an amusing sketch of the master letting the boy leave to find his future, tethered by a rope inked in by paintbrush.

Hokusai's assessment of his own growth as an artist was added to his now-famous album of "One Hundred Views of Mount Fugi." (see page 100), This statement giving perspective on aging, persistence and achievement should be used at all seminars for 'seniors'. Long after his death in 1889, HOKUSAI IS A ROLE MODEL FOR TODAY.

Delightful in Words and Pictures.......2004-06-03

As a librarian I see many, many books and this is a definite favorite. The simple story of the great Ukiyoe master, Hokusai, and his young apprentice, Tojiro, is told with humor and feeling. Along the way, there are lessons about being young and old, about persistence and talent. Many of the stories about Hokusai and his artwork are based on fact, such as his most famous Great Wave of Kanagawa from the collection Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji and his "thought-up drawings" in Hokusai Manga. As wonderful as the story is, the illustrations may be the very best part of this book. Francois Place's paintings are a story in themselves. The illustrations are colorful, well executed, with a subtle oriental flavor. Interspersed with Hokusai's own woodblock prints, they appeal to adults and children who love art, Japan, or just a warm and heartfelt story. I recommend Old Man Mad About Drawing to children, parents, and anyone who loves interesting stories blended with captivating art.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books