While most writers of historical fiction place their characters in the context of real events, in this case Dudley Pope has substituted Ramage for Commodore Samuel Hood. After preliminaries, the main action takes place at Martinique in the summer of 1804. Ramage is sent to blockade the island and, in the process, fortifies the Diamond Rock (Hood's actual accomplishment that year). Some of the writing goes into extreme detail (e.g., Pope's reconstruction of the probable means Hood used to place guns on top the rock), and some is larger than life, perhaps too much so (Ramage's action against a French convoy). There are some editorial glitches, e.g., a statement that men would be excluded from sharing in prize money when earlier in the story they had participated in the action that captured a frigate.

On an historical note, the Diamond Rock was commissioned and carried on the Royal Navy books as a sloop. It was surrendered to a French fleet in 1805 when the British crew on the rock ran out of water (see W. P. Gosset, "The Lost Ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900").

The novel shows Ramgage growing in his command of the frigate as he is assigned a task to monitor the French. He starts with a single frigate and a lack of knowledge of the area and his enemy .. as the story continues .. Ramage finds himself having to improvise in order to keep his ship from falling into the hands of the French as well as making plans to capture an inbound French convoy. ... theough a series of events .. he manages to acquire a small fleet of ships ... fortify a island ... and all but cut the French off from any help. .. a well written story ... much in the same line as C. S. Foresters Horatio Hornblower series .... or that of Alexander Kent and his Richard Bolitho series

In which newly made Capt. Ramage buys arms, commands a slovenly ship, blockades Martinique and sees a diamond, removes a frigate, climbs a hill, and plots to devour a French fleet single-handedly in 1804. Ramage, like Hornblower, has a depth of character best revealed in their moments of introspection. But while Hornblower doubts his own courage, Ramage knows courage is a facade put up for the encouragement of others. I found the most fascinating passages were on pp. 259-263, where we get an outsider's view of Ramage and feel the effect of the meticulous planning that is the essence of inspiring leadership. It is likely these passages embody the secret of Lord Cochrane's astonishing successes as a winner who, like Ramage, didn't do it over the dead bodies of his men (the historic Lord Cochrane [1775-1860] being the inspiration for much of British naval fiction). As always Pope's descriptions are clear and precise, but here supplemented with diagrams of a jackstay lift for the central hill-climbing business.

The reader might want to know that this is really the first of several books dealing continuously with Ramage's renewed adventures in the West Indies (but a separate cycle from his W. Indian adventures in vols 2-4). Although this is a pretty complete story unto itself, if you've already read this far in the series (you did, didn't you?) there's no way you won't want to move immediately after this to MUTINY. Proofing is a little sloppy in a series that is doing the McBooks imprint proud.

This book tells about acquiring a snake, caring for a snake, and some simple instructions for breeding snakes. The snakes in this book are mostly ratsnakes, garters&ribbons, and pythons. Perfect for those starting out, but no detail for any particular species. Still, it is a great book, especially for those who are inexperienced with the common diseases, mites, etc...

For someone who knows next to nothing about how to care for snakes, this is an OK book, as it covers most common beginner species. However, if you have an experince, you've heard it all before, and shouldn't spend your money (put it towards a snake instead).

An excellent book with information on most snake species + information on setting up terrariums and different health problems you may encounter.

This is an excellent collection of american folktales which both I and my siblings have enjoyed. It is well written and very enjoyable on the whole.

I had to buy this book for an education class i am taking, and I very much enjoyed it. It is a wonderfully told collection of American Folk Tales which both me and my siblings have enjoyed.

I acually bought this book for the pictures,theres some real nice ones.The info is basic and great for a person wishing to learn more about them.But for someone like my self who has been keeping ratsnakes for 15 years, its a great picture book.

This book has every bit of information pet owners are looking for. There are great colour photos, and each page has a detailed scetch. If you are studying the history of corn or rat snakes, or you just plain like snakes, this book is right for you

A commendable and hopefully second part of a trilogy - Nick are you listening - we need to find out what happened. In the style of Operation Thunder Child (Nick's first novel), I suspect there is far more truth in this volume than the fictional tag would suggest. A must for all UFOlogists. This story brings to life more intrigue than any official will admit to - Read it!

Nick Pope's involvement with the Ministry of Defence has equipped him with the insider knowledge to create an utterly captivating and scarily plausible account of an alien invasion of Earth. All the cabinet meetings, international diplomacy and descriptions of military countermeasures have a gritty air of authenticity about them. Furthermore, Pope skillfully weaves a thread of ambiguity as the tale unfolds, as to just who are the bad guys. Conspiracy theorists will love this! This makes for an ultimately more satisfying and complex read than many more conventional invasion-Earth type yarns. My only real criticism is that the breathtaking action scenes take rather a long time to appear and the intensive politicising in the early part of the book may not retain everyone's interest. Stick with it though and you will be rewarded with an awe-inspiring denouement that will remain with you for a long time. One small point that rankles a bit in the wake of the WTC atrocity is the author's claim that the threat of "jihad" against America was more imagined than real. As Operation Lightning Strike was written in 2000, however, Pope cannot be blamed for this tragically ironic but unintentional faux pas. Finally, a particular bonus for me was that much of the action set in England takes place close to my home. Perhaps I'll search the ground for UFO debris next time I visit Alice Holt Forest!

A nice overview of the life of John XXiii, but less than an in depth analysis of his life, philospohy, accomplishments, quirks, and the times in which he lived. I found the portion of the book on the convening of the Ecumenical Council and his role in that process lacking. Nor was there much to explain/clarify his successes and problems working with and trying to lead the papal bureaucracy. It was a good overview, but I would love to be able to read a much more in depth biography of the life of John XXiii.

Many people know of the wonderful things Pope John XXIII accomplished as pope but many do not know of the road that lead to the papacy. Providence directed this simple, peasant man to become the pope and this account of that providence is superbly done. "We can deal with our differences if we focus on what we have in common." No wonder we now refer to him beatified as Blessed Pope John XXIII. His is certainly a wonderful example to follow.

Psychology Astray is a pretty good book, although the author does make some presumptions known to be wrong himself. Pope uses--homosexuality can not be changed by psycotherapy--as an example of the misinformation taught for years in his chosen field. 1000 page books have been published that maintain that it can be and is. Something about barometric preassure doesn't cause bone discomfort where a major bone is conected different than usual with another one is in there too which is wrong. He delves into what they know about schizophrenia, without mentioning that it is the most misdiagnosed mental disorder there is. (Social workers often are the ones who decide who is schizophrenic in mental institutions). The field of psychology has a lot of problems, it really does. It would be easy to prove that the rouphly 100 year old area of study is responsible for far more harm than good that it's done. Labotomys. Wrongly detained individuals. Prescriptions for addictive drugs for the wrong symptoms. Pope points out that what qualifies experts as such is often miscalculated credentials. Like cops, part of the problem is the egotisticalness of the majority of students who choose the field, the "it takes a village to raise a child" crowd in abstract. They know what's best for you because they learned the later discredited stuff in school of predesesors who did the same. Most of them want everyone to be the same and feel that other people who are they're own people should not have the right to be or even act paranoid. Dr. Pope does a pretty good job of exposing the lack of evidence about one particular subject that gets reported on the news as fact by producers who did take the same classes and were taught by the same professors who learned the same or similar mis-information. x

ideal for intro psychology students and also just to look at methodology of many studies we take for granted. focus on repressed memories is interesting considering it is such a hot topic, though you do not necessarliy need to be reading for this subject to apprecaite and enjoy this book

If Mr. Craughwell had just given a collection of statements from the popes over the last 2000 years this book would be great. If one is looking for a collection of statements by the popes then buy this book. The problem that I have with the book is the introduction/commentary that Mr. Craughwell offers at the start of many of the chapters, especially the commentary at start of the chapter on the Mass. In the prior chapters he showed how the popes have always helped the Church understand in a new way the truths that have been revealed to the Church since the begining. But in the chapter on the Mass he how the post Vatican II Mass has been a mistake by Paul VI and has led to a decline in the Church. I personally don't think he is right but that is another matter. So my suggestion is buy the book and skip the commentary/ introductions.

Papal proclamations, encyclicals, and meditations have fathered and fostered what is Western culture. Thomas Craughwell has compiled a splendorous and thematic bouquet of the spiritual and political positions of the Popes throughout the last two millennia. His masterful creation serves as a roadmap for anyone who wishes to trace the true influence of Catholicism upon the formation of the modern world.

From the stalwart simplicity of Peter and the prosaic acclaimations of the goodness of God penned by Clement I, down to the more recent and politically volatile legacies of Paul XI and Pius the XII, Mr. Craughwell artfully crafts an enthralling, intriguing, and inspiring legacy of the Pontiffs that will undoubtedly become a standard household reference for all Catholic families.

I used this book for my American Heritage class at BYU. It's a great book to learn about a little of everything from the social studies. It teaches good basics about American History, Economics, and Political Science. I'm going to get another one to review from time to time.

This book is pretty cool. Its pretty much just a collection of articles about the boys and stuff like that so its not truly grand royal, but its worth having if you're a true Beastie Boys fan. Personally, I liked Rhyming and Stealing a lot better, but this book isn't all that bad. Lots of interesting little bits of information here and there. "Flowin' prose the cons the cons the pros, like Toucan Sam I gotta follow my nose..."