If you have spent time in the great outdoors you will enjoy this funny approach to many of the experiences that have been filed away in your memory. Recommend even if you don't spend a lot of time outdoors. One might suspect that the humor in this book is written from a great many years of living and being a part of nature.

Adolph Newton joined the U.S. Navy during the Second World War by forging his parents signatures. In the service he became one of the first Black machinist's mates (MM) and was assigned to a maintenance unit in the Philippines. After the war, he reeenlisted in the Navy and served on a repair ship. His memoir is honest and personal, and includes frank descriptions of looking for (and finding) women and liquor in liberty ports around the world. Occasionally he even had to stand up for his right to fight for his country. He did suffer gratuitous racial insults and unfair discipline, and speaks candidly about his opinions about white folks. An interesting touch is his love of jazz and popular music; MM Newton frequently recalls what songs were popular at a particular time and even takes credit for exposing other sailors on his repair ship to bebop. The main shortcomings of this book can be laid to the publisher : no index, no maps, and no glossary. Overall, strongly recommended for those interested in the integration of the U.S. Navy and the common life of the naval enlisted man. Parents : if your child wants to use this for a school report, read it FIRST.

In the public mind, the treaty of Versailles is considered a fine example of how NOT to conduct a peace treaty. However, for the past several decades, scholars have been arguing that the treaty was not unreasonable. Certainly, the way Hitler used the problems of Danzig and the Polish Corridor to kill two-ninths of the population of Poland encouraged people to think that Germany was not too hard done by in 1919. Many scholars have argued that French reparation plans actually were part of a complex and reasonable plan of reviving the European economy, and anyway the Germans whined their way out of all but a fraction of the bill. And, many argue, wouldn't an ever harder peace have done much to prevent Hitler from coming to power? Such are the arguments of the "realists" in defence of the treaty.

Douglas Newton's book deals with British policy towards the Weimar republic, both the first several months of the latter's existence, and British propaganda encouraging an overthrow of the Kaiser. It starts off rather dryly, but gets better as it goes along. It is massively documented, based on no fewer than 16 sets of Government papers, private papers from more than fifty archives, dozens of memoirs as well as dozens as newspapers. And it is a valuable work as it shows the failure of an earlier "realist" version of British diplomacy.

For propaganda purposes the British claimed, not inaccurately, to be fighting an aggressive Prussian autocracy, and at times they claimed to distinguish between the German government and its people. At times they claimed to desire a democratic government for Germany, which would hopefully encourage the peace of the world. In point of fact they cared little for this goal and had no serious strategy for encouraging it, achieving it or maintaining it. By 1917 the British government was dominated by Conservatives fronted by the charisma of Liberal prime minister Lloyd George. They failed to see that the threat was not from Germany, but from authoritarian and imperialist impulses. Being imperialist and authoritarian themselves, the Tories preferred to believe that all Germans were collectively guilty. The result was a whirlwind of cant and self-serving rhetoric. Massive amounts of well qualified evidence on the seriousness of Weimar's democratic beliefs and the hardships suffered by the Allied blockade were dismissed on the words of limited, unqualifed and secret sources; chauvinist publishers ignored or distorted the reports of their correspondents; "realists" spread rumours that a prostate Germany was funding strikes and subversion across Europe or that the Kaiser was to be restored and that the revolution was a simple fraud. Although Wilhelm II was denounced as a tyrant, Tories argued that the Germans were fully responsible for his acts, and when they did overthrow him, that was insufficient to remove their guilt. The revolution was declared to be unconvincing, yet at the same time the British denounced those revolutionary socialists who had always opposed the war, refused democratic town council elections and disbanded the soldiers' councils wherever they met them. The British opposed all advice to bolster the democratic government--yet they claimed that the revolution was insufficiently consolidated.

Newton is quite good on the subject of reparations. He points out that the British were aware that this violated the Lansing Note which they were morally bound to. He points out that Tories supported reparations from Germany because it was preferrably to levying higher taxes on the rich, and that instead of reforming British industry to make it more productive than Germany's they preferred to swamp Germany with trade restrictions. Newton also points out the British were not forced into a harsh stance by popular opinion. Much of the electorate was apathetic (turnout was only 57% and the soldier's vote was much less), by-elections soon turned against the government, the media were after all strongly Tory in the first place and were closely connected to the government, and in fact Lloyd George made key measures to encourage an irresponsibly high figure before popular opinion made any claim on the matter. Newton points out that there were good military reasons for the British accepting the armistice when they did, since there were strains in their forces, and a delay would only increase the United States' influence. Newton is very good, if somewhat tedious, in explaining the different factions within the government, such as the coalition parties, the Foreign Office, the Political Intelligence Department, the press and the economic lobbies. But would a softer treaty have made any difference? Trying to prove this would be impossible, and Newton's argument is somewhat weak here. But he points out that the British had no objections to the SPD alliance with the army when it was used against radicals. Most important he demonstrates that they never had any real interest in supporting a democratic government. The Allies only sought to impose external constraints on Germany, and never really considered internal ones. As one prominent official said "I don't care a
d--- about democracy; but I do care a great deal about beating the Hun." Ironically, many of those who most denounced the German Republic (Kerr, the media barons) were those most willing to appease Hitler. Disaster upon disaster.

A slow read about moral dogma and Masonry. Mr. Newton, an ordained Minister, attempts to explain the moral teachings behind Masonry. Accurate in most of his explanations, but a bit dry. Does a good job of showing Masonry as a support of morality and benevolance in society. Correct in information, dry in presentation. But at least it is correct, unlike most Masonic books. A must read for the Masonic collector.

Mrs. Newton has done an excellent job of giving several perspectives relating to the field of visual truth or photojournalism. Its excellent for the beginner researcher or someone who needs indepth information on how this media has effected us. I personally would recomend this book to any student of media or professors looking for a book that will be great for a classroom setting.

The Cambridge Deep-Sky album is exactly the book I wanted. It shows some of the more common deep sky objects. It shows them just as I see them in my small telescope. The pictures are true to life not like the pictures often seem taken with the Hubble. The authors used the same scale for each of the photographic plates. They also used very little artifical enhancement. I finally have a book that shows me what to look for before I find it. I love it. Thanks for finding it Amazon.

Chapter One: "Gender and Theology" Chapter Two: "Men's Issues in the Local Church: What Clergymen Have to Say" Chapter Three: "Hard Work, Hard Lovin', Hard Times, Hardly Worth It: Care of Working-Class Men" Chapter Four: "Love and Work Among African-American Men" Chapter Five: "The Men's Movement and Pastoral Care of African American Men" Chapter Six: "The Shaman Says...Womanist Reflection on Pastoral Care of African American Men" Chapter Seven: "Male Violence Against Women and Children"

Chapter Eight: "Pastoral Care of Gay Men" Chapter Nine: "Men and Women at Work: Fostering Collegial Relationships" Chapter Ten: "Men and Grief: The Hidden Sea of Tears Without Outlet"

Not quite up there with "Kiss the girls", but better than "Jack & Jill". Wish the identity of the second serial killer weren't so very obvious so early on in the book. Believe Mr. Patterson would enjoy having another book of his turned into a movie. (Hints that he'd prefer Denzel Washington to Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross.)

Even though I have not finished this Newton book I have enjoyed his writing once again. Hunting Humans- was the first title I read and found this one to be just as entertaining (if I may call it that) The only times I felt a bit let down were when he mentioned a name I was unable to find any other information on.

If you're intrigued by the world of Dark Sun, you need this book... it details the most colorful, exciting, and powerfully unique character class of that universe, the Gladiator. Chapters include: gladiator kits (including the Beast Trainer, Blind Fighter, Reaver, Gladiatorial Slave, and much more), armor optimization (perfect for any campaign!), new weapon proficiencies, martial arts and exciting new combat rules for desperate hand-to-hand struggles, the Arenas of Tyr, designing a Gladiatorial campaign, tournaments, and more... this flexible combat system is so wonderfully detailed and yet approachable that you'll find yourself wondering how you ever role-played Fighters without it. Ideal!