I started reading The Funhouse Mirror up while I was waiting for a connection in an airport. I got so absorbed in it that I almost missed my plane. It is a collection of stories by prisoners in Washington State. Their pieces are remarkable, but what really makes the book are the interspersed commentaries and stories by the editor, Robert Ellis Gordon. Gordon spent several years working in the prison system as a writing teacher, and the prisoners who wrote these stories were his students. While the prisoners' stories are good, Gordon himself is a far more accomplished and vivid writer. Reading Gordon's own pieces really brought home to me the hell that is our prison system, and the difficult moral and emotional problems that it poses. This is a wonderful, gripping, depressing book that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn about what our prisons are really like.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system or who believes she/he understands it. Author Robert Ellis Gordon taught creative writing workshops to inmates in the Washington State Corrections System for 9 years. This powerful collection includes non-fiction essays and short stories written by Gordon and some of the incarcerated writers who were Gordon's students. Through stories and essays infused with emotional risk, startling humor, and vivid detail, the collection resonates as a testament to the intimate details of prison life. The collection offers no excuses for criminal behavior, but the inmates' writing reveals haunting histories and the daily combination of terror and tedium that makes up time served. In his own work, Gordon reflects unflinchingly upon the qualities of his students, many of whom are repulsive in their crimes (child molestation, rape, murder). Gordon describes challenging his students to "struggle back to life" by engaging in the vulnerable business of creating literature. And the inmates' work included in "The Funhouse Mirror" demonstrates the transcendent power of artistic opportunity. Gordon challenges the rest of us to examine the true nature of our corrections system and the the lives our society chooses to surrender to incarceration with diminishing hope of redemption.

For nine years, Robert Gordon routinely ventured into and out of the prisons of Washington state, teaching intensive fiction writing workshops to inmates while the state's prison population doubled and daily prison life became ever harsher. Gordon elicited students' often harrowing stories, some of which he includes in The Funhouse Mirror. They are stories from within prison and from outside lives that were frequently violent, abusive, impoverished, troubled, despairing, drained of hope. Some are fanciful or exaggerated; many have the ring of truth. They are stories we don't usually hear, even when they are told.

This is a slim book, but also a riveting, searing, big-hearted book, full of the grim realities and refusal, sometimes, to give in that characterize our American gulag. The American public desperately needs to know those realities. We need them not to absolve people for their crimes, but to put a human face on an often breathtakingly inhuman prison culture, to shine a light on our collective heart of darkness. That heart is shared as much by the rest of us as by the prisoners, guards, and administrators in Gordon's book.

One of the many strengths of this volume is that Gordon wrestles repeatedly with the value-laden question of whether it is appropriate to be appalled when inmates who have themselves committed, at least once in their lives, some horrific crime, are in turn subjected to endless years of horrific taxpayer-mandated treatment at the hands of fellow inmates, sadistic guards and administrators, and a fickle but generally vengeful justice system. The fact that Gordon acknowledges these all-too-human conflicts lends that much greater a moral resonance to his book.

It helps both his pupils and his readers that Gordon is an exceptionally fine and evocative writer. Too often, in books with political themes, the writing is lousy, leavened only by the value of the information buried in dreadful prose. Not so in the Funhouse Mirror. Gordon uses the beauty of language to expose ugly, invisible truths. If this book were widely read, we'd be a better society for it.

Robert Lecke's book vividly retells the story of the American Revolution, periodically expanding on the biographies of the major and minor participants. Here are the men that were the characters in this great event. Not just Washington, Cornwallis and George III, but engaging characters like Henry Knox (the Boston bookseller who became Washington's chief artillerist). And, Nathaniel Greene the ironworker. Almost absent are Jefferson, Franklin, etc. since they played very small roles in the war itself. It helps to have a grounding in military history, since Leckie is not inclined to stop his narrative for long to teach 18th century warfare. My only objection is the inadequate number of maps. I actually had to refer to an atlas to follow what was going on. I would read any of his books.

Before picking up this book, the only full-length treatment of the Revolution that I had read was Barbara Tuchmann's The First Salute (excellent book). Before that, I being a good Civil War buff, had contented myself with receiving Revolution history through general (high school and college) American history courses and History Channel episodes. Boy, oh boy, what I missed. I have not been able to stop reading George Washington's War, an for someone woefully unversed in the Revolution (save Tuchmann), this was an excellant starting point. The layman reader need not fear this book, for Leckie does not get bogged down in heavy tactical analysis, but rather illuninates the reader with the reasons why things happened. The best part of this book, though, is his portrait of Benedict Arnold. Before reading GWW, the name Benedict Arnold was synonymous in my mind with "traitor". Now, it is "fallen hero," admitedly by his own design. That Arnold turned traitor in a foul way (wanting to surrender a fort and 3,000 American soldiers) is not in dispute. But I am compelled to agree with Leckie that if it were not for Arnold's actions from '75 through '77, there would be no United States of America.

Some historians, such as Shelby Foote, have a natural ability to assimilate tremendous amounts of historical and biographical data, and weave it all into a very approachable story that reads almost like a novel. Leckie has accomplished a similar feat with this book, which is the best book I have read on the American Revolution. Short on maps and without footnotes, the book nevertheless tells as complete a story as can be hoped for in a one volume account of the war, with excellent biograophical sketches of many of the major and minor players such as Benedict Arnold, John Andre,John Burgoyne, Banastre Tarleton, Horatio Gates, Samuel Adams, and Nathaniel Greene, and countless others. He keeps the action in context, filling in readers with important contemporary details from the internal squabbling of the Continental Congress as well as British Parliament, without getting too bogged down in irrelevant detail. The passages about the treason of Arnold, and Arnold's tremendous military accomplishments and mistreatment by Congress leading up to his betrayal, were particularly riveting. There have been many books written about the Civil War, and most general readers with a passing interest in history (like myself) are familiar with most major Civil War battles and generals. However there is a dearth of knowledge and material about the battle for American independence. While we all know what happened at Yorktown, this book is suspenseful and will fill in the considerable gaps in our knowledge of this important time in the nation's history. I recommend this book with enthusiasm.

This biography of the U.S.'s father figure was very informative, and gives equal attention to the important points of Washington's life. Flexner did a good job of highlighting the key parts of Washington's career: his war-time service, and his activities as President. This book does pass fairly quickly through Washington's childhood and adolescence, which I wished to have learned more about, but it is a 1 volume summation, so that should be expected. The author was very fair and objective in this book. While he sees Washington as having been an average, if not below average, soldier, Flexner does show Washington to have excelled in other areas such as leadership and management which became very critical to his success as President. So for anyone looking for a reasonably quick cover of Washington's public career, with a shorter background of his private life, I definitely recommend this book.

Flexner is considered, along with Douglas Freeman, to be the great Washington scholar. His four volume biography is a masterpiece of scholarship and historical writing. However, most readers will not have the time to plow through such a large work. Fortunately, Flexner wrote this fantastic book. He has managed to condense the essence of Washington's remarkable life into this single volume. It is every bit as informed and well written as the larger work, and for the curious, by far the best single volume biography of G.W. Every American should read this book. It's impossible to study GW as presented by Flexner and not be impressed. There is a reason why men such as Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, Madison, et al deferred to Washington. In these pages you will learn why.

In his book, Washington the Indispensable Man, James T. Flexner attempts to show just how important Washington was in the development of this country. Washington was not a diplomat or a great intellect nor was he a master of military strategy. What he was, was a self-made man; a leader of men who commanded respect and loyalty. Without this quiet self-effacing, the Revolutionary War might not have been won. Washington's self control, dignity, common sense and his basic character made him a truly indispensable man for the times. The author subdivides George Washington's life into three major categories: military man, statesman and finally George Washington human being. He gave great insight into all areas. James T. Flexner has done a remarkable job with this book. He brings George Washington alive within its pages. The man is certainly more than the myth. The book flows and takes us from a young Washington of 1732 to the death of a true hero in 1799. There are not an abundance of maps or pictures in the book, but what there is, is sufficient. They enhance the book rather than detract from it. This book is very eash to read and extremely interesting. Mr. Flexner drives home the point that George Washington was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things during extraordinary times.

The Pickwick Papers, (or rather The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club) although not Dickens' best work, is still a wondeful novel. The writing isn't as consistently good as it is in his later novels, but none of the writing is bad, and there are several flashes of brilliance which seem to herald what Dickens' would become when his genius had time to ripen (one of these can be found at the end of chapter 44, a beautifully written account of the death of a prisoner in a debtor's prison). In the beginning, despite being very funny, the novel, and indeed Mr. Pickwick, may seem rather inane. Keep reading. The story of Mr. Pickwick's trial and eventual imprisonment is one of the most brilliant pieces of comic literature, and Mr. Pickwick grows into a truly monumental character by the end. And Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's cockney servant, is one of the best characters in all of Dickens. Clever, witty, and cynical, he seems to light up every page. The book has a very happy ending, in which all loose ends are tied together and every character gets what he or she deserves. It is truly uplifting. I strongly reccommend this book.

Charles Dickens' first novel, Pickwick Papers follows the adventures of the Pickwick Club as they involve themselves in comic mishaps and misunderstandings. His travels as a newspaper reporter acquainted Dickens with the coaches, coaching houses, and inns of England which he uses as settings in Pickwick Papers. Gradually he abandons the use of the club format, which he found too restrictive.

Dickens' fame and popularity were forever established with the introduction of his greatest comic characrter, the immortal Sam Weller as Mr Pickwick's servant. Pickwick Papers contains some of Dickens' greatest characters: Mr Pickwick, the most interesting title character; the strolling actor Jingle and his friend Job Trotter; Sam's father Tony Weller who battles with the red-nosed Rev Stiggins; and the Fat Boy.

Memorable scenes include Christmas in the country, a Parliamentary election, and the famous court trial, which Dickens frequently recited on his reading tours.

I highly recommend this book if you've never read Dickens before. This is a must-have for Dickens fans.

Having never read any Dickens before - and unaware this was his maiden effort - I was hooked from the first few pages. The benevolent Mr. Pickwick, with his faithful sidekicks, experiences Victorian England as a well-to-do citizen. While the bulk of this novel deals with the "softer" side of society, the hard-edged aspects of the era are nonetheless acknowledged. With memorable characters, marvelous misadventures, subtle comedic touches, and an occasional suprise around the corner, this novel holds it's own as a "classic." My only "Pickwick" regret was waiting this long (24 yrs. old) to read it. This book will undoubtedly serve as a springboard for ALL of Charles Dickens' works.

First off, this review is of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle" published by Dover Children's Thrift Classics, $.... While most reviews might concentrate on the merits of the stories themselves, this review is meant to support the benefits of purchasing this particular edition over others.

That said, the first thing I would like to comment on is the price. You can't ask for more of a bargain that to pay less than a ... of America's most popular and well known Revolutionary War era stories. Great for anyone on a budget, or parents who want to expand their child's library but don't want to break the bank on something they may only read once. ....

Secondly, I would like to mention that this book contains BOTH "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" AND "Rip Van Winkle" in their respective unabridged entirety. Both are relatively short, entertaining, and easy-to-read stories that supply a great introduction to period literature, beliefs, and storytelling for children and adults alike. While these are not Washington Irving's only writings, they are perhaps the most well-known.

As a former teacher, I have the following suggestion: If you live in the New York metro area, this book would be an excellent jumping off point for a trip to Washington Irving's homestead, "Sunnyside", in Tarrytown, NY, for which you can find plenty of information online. There are several other "living history" sites in the area as well.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle" brings together these two classic stories by Washington Irving. The text of this Dover Children's Thrift Classic is accompanied by the whimsical illustrations of Thea Kliros. Both tales are set in the Dutch-American communities of rural New York State.

"Legend" tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher who lives in an area purportedly haunted by a terrifying spectre: a headless horseman. "Rip" tells the story of a farmer who has a remarkable paranormal experience while wandering in the mountains.

Each story explores the intersection of the supernatural with everyday life. The stories are full of vividly drawn characters and are rich with the local color of rural Dutch American communities. Issues such as folk beliefs, geography, history and oral tradition are well handled by Irving.

Irving's playful, earthy prose style is a delight to read. Passages such as a description of a Dutch-American feast are memorable. Funny, ironic, and poignant, these tales are true classics by one of the most enduring figures in American literature.

Will Moses' illustrated retelling of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow rivals Arthur Rackham's near century-old version as the best edition of the book ever published. The Rackham version, with its moody, archetypal illustrations, has the slight edge, as it contains Irving's full original text in addition to Rackham's spectacular artwork.

However, Moses's simplification of the narrative is masterfully executed, and the colorful, playful, and numerous paintings which adorn the book have a warm period charm of genuine Americana. Moses portrays the Hudson River Valley as a lush expansive valley not unlike the Garden of Eden on the first day of creation. Happy farmers, their wives and children, cows, geese, ducks and pigs frolic together amid fields of wheat and corn; galleons approach dramatically from the river; and the Catskill Mountains, sun, and sky suggested an infinite panorama and endless horizon full of promise.

The story tells us that the Dutch colonists were a superstitious lot, and that the Sleepy Hollow region itself was or seemed to be under a spell of some kind. The farmers and their wives suspected witchcraft; strange music was heard in the air; visions were seen; and the inhabitants themselves lived their lives in a kind of continuous dreamy revery. These tales and superstitions give rise to the legend of the headless horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a canon ball in the war, and now nightly prowling the region in search of it. Moses' nocturnal landscapes of the swamps, hills and the Old Dutch Cemetery under a bright harvest moon are particularly effective. Significantly, these stark, haunted landscapes do not violate the spirit of the book, but enrich its sense of wonder.

Moses' Ichabod is a cheerful but somewhat hapless fellow, confident and foolish in equal parts. His Katrina is a strong but innocent blond beauty, and a friend to children. Brom Bones is an appropriately square-shouldered, square-jawed hooligan, rowdy and full of mischief, if not absolute spite.

Anyone familiar with the tale knows that it is not a horror story but a folktale, a fireside spook story, and a 'legend' as Irving, writing here as Diedrich Knickerbocker, himself called it. This edition of the book is appropriate for children but is equally suitable for adults. Highly recommended.

I read Blackbird, the first book by Jennifer Lauck, and I loved it. It was such a powerful story, written through the eyes of Jennifer as a child. It was heartbreaking, and I couldn't wait to read the sequel, which I bought as soon as I could. I almost didn't want to continue after the first chapter, I didn't think I could take anymore of what this child had to endure, but I perservered, and I'm glad I did, it was a wonderful book. Jennifer Lauck found love and peace, and I'm happy that she did. The only problem I had with the book is that I am left with so much anger towards the other people in Jennifer's family, and she doesn't seem to be. I think it is very normal for children who have lost parents to feel anger or a sense of abandonment, and after all that Jennifer went through, I think she must have. Perhaps she didn't, and that was what helped her cope, having the image of her loving parents somewhere inside her. But where is the rage against Deb, who's lie caused the separation of Jenny and Bryan which wreaked so much havoc in their lives? I think a large part of the book was about family secrets and the lack of honesty from the aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents and how it affected the lives of Jenny and Bryan. Did Jennifer feel this rage or anger toward these people? She doesn't tell us. What were their reactions to the first book? I feel like I know much of the story, but not enough for my own sense of closure.

I usually never read sequels, even in biographies. They never seem to measure up to the first book. But this is definitely not the case in "Still Waters".

Jennifer Lauck picks up right where she left off in "Blackbird". From there, she and her brother are kept apart and sent from family member to family member. Mostly following her heart, Jennifer grows up and slowly gets passed her childhood.

With a life story left unfinished in "Blackbird", Lauck once again has opened her heart and her history to share her story. What once left us in heartbreak now teaches us that following your heart and working through life, anyone can survive. If you read "Blackbird", you will not want to miss "Still Waters".

This book, picks up where Blackbird left off, and follows Jennifer through the trials, and tribulations she endures, in a "home" with relatives who do not value children, or children that are not their "own". Ms. Lauck is a wonderful writer, and draws you into her story from the first page. Through it all, Jennifer Lauck shows the reader what a survivor she is, and makes you cry with her, hope with her and pray that she someday soon, gets herself out of her awful situation.I did not put "her" story down, and read until late into the morning hoping & praying that she would triumph, and come to know real love. She is not whiny or woe is me, despite reason to be, and I would recommend this book to those of us, that THINK we had it rough as a child.

"Right As Rain" introduces private investigator Derek Strange, a middle-aged black ex-cop hired to investigate the death of young black cop Chris Wilson at the hands of young white cop Terry Quinn. The story takes place in the racially divided inner-city neighborhoods of Washington, DC, and the author places racial issues front and center throughout, adding to the tension inherent in encounters among characters existing on the fringes of society. The Washington streetscape is described in such detail that I feel like I would recognize every city block were I to find myself in Strange's neighborhood. It's not an idealized capital city but rather one in which vibrant ungentrified neighborhoods give way to filthy ruins dominated by the drug trade. The story is told in tough, spare prose, and even the good guys are men of action, not introspection. They place great importance on musical tastes, but otherwise are more likely to express their feelings by hitting someone, taking a drink, or visiting a prostitute. In the course of the investigation, Strange and Quinn develop a tentative friendship across generational and racial lines, and much of the book involves their negotiating boundaries of trust. Which leads to my complaint - there is an awful lot of driving around listening to music relative to the amount of plot and character development. Perhaps future installments, in which Strange and Quinn's relationship will already have been established, will have more real story.

Oddly, no one from DC has thrown in their 2 cents on the latest Pelecanos book, so I guess I'll give it a shot. I've lived in DC for 20 years, my family is from here, and Pelecanos is only the second author I've come across who writes about the DC that I know and recognize (the other Edward Jones, check out his story collection "Lost in the City" if you can find it). In this new book, he steps away from his established characters Nick Stefanos and Dmitri Karras, and launches a new duo, black, middle-aged PI Derek Strange, and younger, white ex-cop Terry Quinn. Through them, and the story of Chris Wilson, an off-duty black cop shot by Quinn, Pelecanos displays the racial awkwardness and tension that pervades Washington, D.C. The central message of the book is that everyone, regardless of race, carries preconceptions with them about other groups. That doesn't make them racist-that term is reserved for those who carry hatred in their hearts.

Strange is hired to investigate the shooting of her son, Chris Wilson, leading him to Quinn, who works in a little used bookstore in Silver Spring (Like all the locations in the book, the store really exists, it's a few blocks from my office and I sometimes swing by on my lunch break). The two men fall into an uneasy partnership as this discover more about he events that led to Quinn's killing of Wilson. They make an engagingly effective odd couple as they verbally spar with one another about race, underneath their respective flaws, they're good men. At the same time, both men are struggling to make relationships work, Strange with his divorcee secretary, and Quinn with a Latina student/waitress. As with most of Pelecanos's men, they often make selfish or simply clumsy moves in looking for love. And like most of those same guys, they have well-defined tastes in music, cars, movies, and books.

Following the tone of Pelecanos's previous work, what is gradually revealed is a sordid tale of drugs and corruption, with some powerful drug pushers, and a few violent rednecks. All this unfolds in a world instantly recognizable to Washington natives, where drug dealers work in the open, neighborhoods revolve around local restaurants, and corruption has spread to even the upscale oases (the well-known high-end restaurant Red Sage being one example). As we have come to expect from Pelecanos, everything comes together in a cinematic violent climax offering some attempt at justice. If you've read and enjoyed previous books of his, you're likely to enjoy this one as well. It's got two great new characters, and is a bit more explicit in examining racism, but is otherwise very much in keeping with his previous work.

With Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane writing blurbs on the book jacket, you know this guy can write a crime story with great characters and dialogue. It's set on the streets of D.C., different from what you see on Brokaw and Rather. Derek Strange, a retired black cop, is asked by Chris Wilson's mother to clear her son's name. He was a black off duty cop with a gun standing over a white guy when he was shot and killed by Terry Quinn, a white off duty cop.

Derek and Terry become buddies. The story reels in redneck Earl Boone and his dumb son Ray (Critter), a couple of dope smugglers, a few Colombians and Cherokee Coleman, a local hoopster of some note, good point guard but not good enough for the big time, who runs the drug operation.

When you cut to the chase, Terry's old partner Eugene Franklin was a bad guy and Chris Wilson was onto him. Strange figures things out, of course, there's some great action and the kind of not quite tied together ending that Pelecanos presents so well. The Metro Police don't know exactly what happened, but they have enough to give Chris Wilson the posthumous recognition he deserved. Derek and Terry go back to their separate day to day lives, but they'll be back in "Hell to Pay".

I thought both stories were great!

What a TERRIFIC read!

I work in a bookstore, so every day I have customers talking to me about "great reads." When one of my favorite customers told me that she COULD NOT PUT DOWN Ridley Pearson's The Pied Piper -- that she literally only got 1+ hours sleep because she HAD to finish the story -- I knew that I had to give Ridley's story a try.

BIG MISTAKE!

Now I am going to have to wade my way through his backlist because I absolutely, POSITIVELY have to read more stories with Lou & Daphne & Company!

Sheesh, the nerve of authors for writing FABulous reads.

PIPER did start slowly for me -- but when Lou's daughter, Sarah, became a victim of the Piper, I was caught hook, line, & sinker.

Ridley Pearson threw so many twists & turns throughout the story that I had to go back & reread spots to make sure I understood what was happening. It also seemed as if there was a red herring on every page -- so much so that you soon will enter the world of paranoia that Lou is feeling as he is desperately trying to save his daughter & solve the kidnapping.

The ending builds to superb climax -- I was so into the story that I was literally yelling at the characters to DO SOMETHING!

Wonderful stuff. If you like Sandford's Lucas Davenport, Patterson's Alex Cross, and Cornwell's Scarpetta, you'll LOVE Ridley Pearson's Lou Boldt.

BTW, I just picked up & started to read Ridley's BEYOND RECOGNITION ... the first chapter grabs you by the throat & doesn't let you go ... but that's for another review!

A tightly written thriller. The characters are believable. The twists and turns kept me "on the edge of my seat," but they also made sense -- they were not contrived. It gives real insight into the thinking of police detectives and the difficulties they face in putting the puzzle pieces of evidence together to solve a crime. I highly recommend this book. It's the first Ridley Pearson I've read, but I'll be reading more. I'm delighted to discover another exciting author.

A superbly written thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the very last page. Wonderful characters and plot. And he explains what has driven the criminal to crime which ties things up nicely for the reader. Now I have to read everything he's written. Thanks!

Sisters & Lovers is very realistic, Connie's style is slow and easy, but she was right on with the siters. I found the relationship between them so true it was comical. They were so frank and somtimes hard on each other, but behind all of the differences they cared for each other. I was glad to see that the men in the lives of the three sisters, were not chasing other women and were not abusive. Kevin and Vernon did not handle old love interest in the best way, but they were both genuinely honest. Charmaine needed to kick Clarence to the curb. The ending was a little soft. I would have love to visit again with Vernon and Beverly. But I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I also read and enjoyed 'Big Girls Don't Cry'.

Unfortunately I've not read many Connie Briscoe books, however, the two I've read so far (this one and 'A Long Way from Home,')would encourage me to read more. I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of P.G. County. Nonetheless, after reading Sisters and Lovers I did come away with some laughter and a few reality checks. I thought the three main characters (the sisters) were very believable, funny, and ultimately supportive of each other. I only wish the one sister, Charmain, had been a little more independent and not determined to hold on to a 'man,' even a bad man. The book is definitely worth reading (great for reading on subways or buses or any long ride) and as a member of a book club here in Washington, DC it does give you something to talk about. And also coming from a large family of eight girls I can relate.

Sisters and Lovers is a book that is close to my heart. I know people that could fit each character. It was a joy reading this book and I didn' t want it to end. The story held my interest until the end of the book. I love Connie's style of writing. I will be reading more Connie Briscoe books. Thumbs up!

Author Patrick Davis delivers an action packed thriller based in Washington DC that fully engages military intelligence, the government, and the Washington DC police department in a "who done it"mystery. His indepth knowledge of the military, the Pentagon, and information systems adds much to this action filled story. This book made my commute to NYC each morning and evening bearable. I look forward to his next novel!

I started this book in bed, late at night, and had to force myself to stop reading, hours later. It's fast-paced, and I enjoyed all the inside-Washington, D.C., touches. The book jacket says that Davis was an Air Force major, and planned U-2 surveillance missions, so it makes me wonder how much of this "fiction" might be based on things he's seen?

The General is an exciting military-based thriller written by a talented storyteller who knows his subject well and has the ability to make the reader a participant. This is Patrick Davis' first novel, and while he will no doubt become better at character development and scene description, the reader of this remarkable story will not be disappointed. The earlier reviewers who say that the author does not know the military are simply wrong; I'm a Naval Academy graduate, and I served with officers just like the author describes (villains excluded, of course). Those who say the plot was easily guessed are either not being truthful or are unusually perceptive. The plot is intricate yet completely believable as it unfolds. I had to force myself to put the book down so I could get some sleep. Hardcover fiction prices are too high, but as soon as this exciting author's current novel, The Passenger, makes it into paper, I'll spring for a copy. If you are looking for a really exciting pageturner (at a fair price), pick up a copy of The General now.