I very much enjoyed this book. As someone who served on the island of Adak with the Marine Corps during the Cold War, it was great to read a book about a place I know very well. It gave wonderful look at what life was like during WW2 in the aleutians. You come away with an appreciation of how harsh it was to live and fight under the extreme conditions of the aleutian islands.

Collaboratively researched and written by Donald M. Goldstein (a veteran of the United States Airforce and Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh) and Katherine V. Dillon (U.S. Airforce, Retired), The Williwaw War: The Arkansas National Guard In the Aleutians In World War II is a fascinating and informative history of the 206th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Arkansas National Guard in 1941, when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed their lives forever and plunged America into a global war. Deftly following the travails and experiences of these brave servicemen who struggled with boredom, extreme weather conditions, and life-or-death battles, The Williwaw War reveals a time of danger, death, and pride in the regiment. The Williwaw War is an appreciated and commended contribution to academic Military Studies collections in general, and World War II military history buff reading lists in particular.

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon restore the Punisher to the one man war on crime charcater he is, in this paperback that reprints the 12 issue run that Ennis and Dillon wrote for the Marvel Knights books. This is not kiddie literature, this is a very adult style of writing that gives new life to a character many Marvel fans thought was over and done with. It's for fans of the Godfather films and would make an interesting movie, if dones on a big budget. But please remember, this is for adults only, not kids.

For a while, 'The Punisher' was a character in Marvel comics that really hit rock bottom with fans. In the 80's, the character had gained prominance with it's harsh, violent gun-toting look at vigilantism, but in the late 90's things weren't so good. Bounced from one boring, out-dated story to the next, Punisher was wasted.

That was until Marvel decided to reboot the series and allow the awesome team of writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon to helm a 12 issue mini-series. The two had worked on amazing titles like Hitman and the acclaimed Preacher series, and just as Marvel had hoped, brought the same magic to the pages of 'The Punisher'.

Collected in this trade paperback, this 12 issue story is a fun, exciting story that reminds fans why they so enjoyed the original Punisher stories to begin with.

The creative team behind the return of the Punisher, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, were also responsible for the entire 66-issue run of the best comic of recent years, Preacher. This graphic novel, which collects all twelve of the Punisher series from 2000 - 2001, almost matches the standard set with Preacher. Never a dull moment, Ennis seems to really enjoy writing the Punisher (how many comic book writers give you that impression?). Dillon's artwork is crisp, clear and entirely suited to the character. The gruesome but highly entertaining treatment of the Punisher's main foe in the story, crime boss Ma Gnucci, is one of the best examples of comic writing I've read. Don't expect subtelty - it's fun, there's humour that no previous Punisher comic even approached and it paid off, with the comic never out of the monthly top ten best sellers. Ennis and Dillon returned to produce an on-going Punisher series in June 2001, with Ennis scheduled to write the first six editions. Whoever follows him has a high standard to maintain.

Much is made of the innovative series Preacher. This collection lacks some of the energy the previous volumes had, but makes up for it with feeling and a solid story.

Sure, this isn't as heart-pounding as, say, War in The Sun, but All Hell's A-Coming is still a good book. The title says it quite clearly: All hell is a-coming... it's not here yet!
Garth Ennis takes a little time here to tie a few loose ends before the big climatic ending. Still, this Preacher is as good as all the others.

This book has a lot going for it.
The artwork by Steve Dillon is top notch. Since this Vertigo series is not in a superhero universe, it's really appropriate to have an artist with little to no anatomy distorsion in his art. The people here look like people you might meet at the supermarket. And that fits the story, so no complaints. Also, Dillon has a knack for making his pictures move, even though they remain stills. Every panel is dynamic and you can follow motion easily. Also, it's hard to see his visuals and not make little noises like gunfire and punches. It's that good.

Additionally, this has the bext dialog in the industry: sharp, incisive, dead-on character development. Believeable characters in wonderful situations. Preacher excells in all catergories.

So give it a read. You'll enjoy it. Just make sure you read the rest!

I had really high expectations for this volume. It didn't quite measure up.
Okay, yeah, the characters are great. Fine. But the Tulip backstory feels obligatory and pointless, and I don't think it develops too much about her. It really didn't require two issues, that's for sure.
The rest of this volume seems kind of useless, repeating all the themes that have gone before. And between this volume and the last one, I'm wondering when Ennis will stop feeling the need to include sexual perversion in every issue. I'm not a prude, I just think it's a little past the point where it enhances the stories. It just feels repetitive now.
There's no real action in this book, and not a lot of solid story.
Finally, the action Jesse takes at the end of this volume, together with his actions towards Gunther at the end of Salvation make me truly question Jesse as a hero. This would bother me less, except that Ennis seems to think these actions are fine and jim dandy.

The eighth installment in the PREACHER library departs from much of what made the book so successful in the fisrt place. Blood and gore take a back seat, as Ennis and Dillon choose to concentrate more heavily on character development, most noticeable in the characters of Tulip and Cassidy. There is just enough blood to satisfy the gore-hounds, but also enough excellent dialogue and plot development to interest those who would never imagine a mere comic book could be this thought provoking. Jesse and Tulip's relationship is put to the ultimate test, which we glimpsed in the finale of WAR IN THE SUN (my personal favorite of the PREACHER collections) and the outcome is interesting to say the least. All in all, this book is an excellent prelude of the earth shaking events that will no doubt transpose at the conclusion of the current series-ending "Alamo" storyline. One more thing: Mark my words, Arseface will be remembered as one the great tragic characters, on par with Shakespeare's Hamlet and Tarantino's Mr. Orange.

This is a story about three friends aboard the Nautilus, a cantankerous submarine-like vessel that is commandeered by Captain Nemo, an elusive figure with a mind of steel and a impenetrable purpose in life. Captain Nemo has long ago turned his back on the world, building this vessel with the intent of making it his home, staffing it with the most loyal of crews, and arming it as though it were a fortress. And a fortress it is. Captain Nemo and his crew live beneath the sea in this fascinating underwater vehicle as solid as stone. They never touch land, and are prepared to spend the rest of their days living underwater. The world has learned of this vessel, but rumors of its nature abound. Most think it is a sea monster of sorts, and the great ship the Abraham Lincoln sets out on a voyage to find and destroy the Nautilus. On board are Professor Aronnax, underwater expert, his loyal subject Conseil, and a Canadian whale harpooner named Ned Land. These unfortunate characters are tossed into the sea while heavily engaged in a confrontation with the mighty Nautilus. Hours later, they are picked up by the Nautilus, having been clinging to it's topside for safety. They are held prisoner within, but never have prisoners of war had such luxury and freedom. What follows is Monsieur Aronnax' account of the adventures that abound as he travels around the world underwater, seeing sights never before seen, engaging in activities he once only dreamed of, and enjoying times never meant to be had by man. When his companion, Ned Land, becomes restless and wishes to escape the Nautilus, the story heats up. Throughout, Captain Nemo is a mystery you will wish revealed. The story has many dull parts too, and many unfamiliar words and expressions that may bore you. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating and marvelous classic - if you have not yet read this, you should.

This is Verne's classic novel about Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus. What really fascinated me when reading this story and other Verne novels was not only Verne's contributions to the science fiction genre, but his founding of a whole new genre, one that, as far as I know, he has never been given credit. I think Verne was the first to write the techno-novel, a work that is filled with technical details ala Tom Clancy. For this novel, Verne did considerable research to describe what was known as accurately as possible. Professor Arronax and his servant Conseil board a U. S. ship that is searching for a monster that has sunk a number of other ships. They discover that it isn't a monster at all but a submarine, captained by a mysterious man known only as Nemo (Verne will present readers with Nemo once again in "The Mysterious Island"). Arronax, Conseil, and an American harpooner named Ned Land travel with Nemo and see many wonderous things and have many adventures. Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" has gotten some very poor reviews over the decades since it first appeared in 1869. In many cases, it was because of the translation and not because of Verne. A number of the early translators inserted their own sections with their own ideas and opinions and deleted much of Verne's own words. So, readers should be aware of the translator. I read an excellent translation by Walter James Miller that was also annotated. Such an annotated volume can prove to be very helpful to teenagers getting acquainted with Nemo and his submarine.

This brilliantly crafted novel of epic proportions, tell of the adventures of Professor Pierre Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and Ned Land, a Canadian harpooner, as they are held captive aboard a submarine by a mysterious man who goes under the name Captain Nemo. Although they are in a sense prisoners, they are allowed to use all the facilities aboard the submarine. This submarine, powered by nuclear energy and christened the Nautilus, is one of Verne's many brilliant predictions of modern life made throughout many of his works. This like may others was correct. Through out the book, the reader gains a vast knowledge of marine life, and the lives of people in distant lands.

The book begins when Professor Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of the story, boards an American frigate commissioned to investigate a rash of attacks on international shipping by what is thought to be an amphibious monster. The supposed sea creature, which is actually the submarine Nautilus, sinks Aronnax's vessel and imprisons him along with his devoted servant Conseil and Ned Land, a temperamental harpooner. When they are returned to their senses, the find themselves inside a dark, gloomy, desolate, endless, predicament. They are locked in a cell. However they soon meet Captain Nemo who agrees to let them move about the ship freely on one condition. They must remain aboard the Nautilus. So begins a great adventure of a truly fantastic voyage from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole, as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villains ever created, takes his revenge on all society.

The detail that Verne pours into this book is amazing. This is one of the few books that are capable of making the readers feel that they are actually there. His descriptions of how the Nautilus operates, how Nemo's crew harvests food and his account of hunting on Hawaii are excellent, and the plot never falters. The characters are wonderfully scripted; each one having their own unique personality, and they are weaved flawlessly into the awe filled spectacle.

This is the book that predicted that there would be submarines, and that submarines would eventually go to the South Pole. It predicted the development of the SCUBA suit; it even predicted nuclear powered ships. The technology used in this book makes it easy to understand even today. This book is widely recognized as a classic- in my view, correctly.

After reading the Perfect Storm by S. Junger, I was casting about in the sailing/adventure section and found this gem. I remembered vague readings from the newspapers about the sinking of these ships and that it seemed a really dangerous business, crabbing in the North Bering Sea. Mr. Dillion explains it better than any other article I've read. He puts a human face on those missing fisherman. The book isn't quite as much as a thriller as "Perfect Storm" is but I was hooked and stayed up most of the night to read the first half.

The second half of the book is the formation of public policy and the making of the laws regarding safety at sea. Its a bit dryer but since I voted for some of these politicans I'm glad that they did their job. That aspect of the story wasn't reported very well in the local news. It is interesting but not the page turner that the first half of the book is.

Still whenever I buy King Crab legs in the grocery store I say a prayer for the saftey of the fisherman.

Anyway if you liked the "Perfect Storm", or any of the other disaster at sea books, "Fastnet Force 10" etc., you'll like this one.

This book is a fascinating look into a tragedy, and is hard to put down once it gets going. Dillon does a good job of covering all the 'angles' about this industry, the people involved, & these 2 particular boats. He doesn't have the same flair that Sebastian Junger does for detailed background stories that really bring the reader into the lives of those he's writing about, but that's setting the bar pretty high as I could hardly put "The Perfect Storm" down. This book is interesting in a different way, because this disaster was so much more of a mystery. Because it happened in calm seas, was relatively close to land, and they were well-equipped boats, they really had to start from zero to figure this whole thing out, & that's what pulls you along in the reading of the book. It also concentrates much more on the industry as a whole, although that last part of the book is a bit less interesting, it does a good job of rounding out the story & giving the reader info you're curious about by the time you've learned how the commercial fishing industry operates.

Once I got past the scene-setting of the individual seamen who were inevitably the ones who drowned (sorry for that burst of cynicism, but the more touching the personal tale, the more likely they were to be among the lost), the book gets down to the business of telling us about the whole cycle of commercial fishing in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The miracle of this story is that Dillon captures both the personal and the intimate details of the individuals, but he also nails the macro-issues of the industry, its evolution and practices. As an added bonus, he gives us the inner chambers of our government and a cold-eyed view of how laws are actually enacted, a civics lesson that we should read and re-read. Great book, all around. A brilliant feat by Dillon, who makes it all flow so naturally that you don't even know you're reading virtuoso journalism of the highest order.

Ethan Coen's collection of short stories is a hint to his remarkable movies. The writer of such great films as Raising Arizona, Fargo, and O Brother Where Art Thou? brings his unmistakable sense of humor to literature with his first work of fiction, Gates of Eden. Coen's sense of humor is uniquely intelligent at times, stupid at others, and very often disturbing.

From mafia back-stabbing to a decapitated wife and every story in between, Coen makes the reader laugh and simultaneously makes the reader feel uncomfortable for laughing. One often finds himself asking, "Should I really be laughing at this?" It is upon this type of humor that the Coen Brothers built their film career. Coen overcomes the occasional lack of true plot development with intriguing character analysis and captivating dialogue.

This book is a very easy read even with the intriguing and interesting lanuage and dialogue. The stories are short enough for a single sitting and long enough to actually say something. I would recommend this book to anyone who has taken even the slightest interest in a Coen Brothers film. But take heed, many stories are not for the weak-stomached conservative. Be prepared for a few shocks and an interesting insight to the American way.

If you like Ethan Coen's wacky films, and I am among their biggest fans, then you are bound to enjoy most if not all of the subject stories. Unlike most audio collections, these stories are narrated by many of the actors who have starred in Coen Brothers films such as William H. Macy, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi. I thought that was a great touch, and unlike another reviewer here I thoroughly enjoyed the vocal talents, never sensing that the stars had been quickly handed the stories and told to "read" by the director.

As for the tales themselves, they were each very different, and ranged from typical Coen brothers slapstick crime stories to poignant tales of growing up Jewish in Minneapolis. I really enjoyed "Destiny",the story of an over-educated boxer with no fighting spirit, narrated by Matt Dillon, who becomes hopelessly involved in a battle between a couple of two bit hoods while getting pummeled throughout the story. "The Boys", a story of a father struggling to maintain his sanity on a camping trip with his two sons really struck a chord as well, since Coen displays his typical caustic wit and dead-on observations of family relationships.

The stories are not for everyone, sometimes the language can get a little coarse (especially the Steve Buscemi narrated "Have You Ever Been to Electric Ladyland", involving a music industry executive who tries telling the police the myriad of enemies who might have tortured his dog), and those easily offended may want to look elsewhere. Even here Coen's biting sarcasm is evident, as he skewers thinly-veiled real stars including Cat Stevens.

Overall, while Coen may never push writers like Raymond Carver out of the pantheon of American Short Story writers, these tales are an amusing bunch, made more entertaining by the considerable vocal talents of each of the narrators. I recommend you give them a try, especially in audio format. The people in the next car will wonder what you are grinning about.

Coen brothers.

Just say the words, and most moviegoers can tell you what you're probably in for.

Crime. Criminals. Mystery. Shenanigans.

The same holds true for "Gates of Eden," a collection of short stories by Ethan Coen, one-half of the brother team (bro is Joel Coen) that created such contemporary classics as "Blood Simple," "Fargo," "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and, most recently, "The Man Who Wasn't There."

With the short stories in "Gates," Ethan displays the tendency to irresistible characters that the brothers have put to such acclaimed use in their films.

And characters they are. Hapless schmucks, crooks who just don't seem to have a clue, oddballs and hitmen, all of whom are destined to win your heart. Or, at the very least, your funny bone.

The title story is probably my favorite, simply because it examines a career that is usually shucked aside by storytellers in favor of more glamorous work: The weights-and-measures man.

It's Joe Gendreau's job to make sure the gas station attendant isn't overcharging for or skimping on gas; a beating with a tire iron will keep him straight. All in a day's work, ma'am.

Like Joe says, "Standards are what make us a society. A community agrees. A gallon is a gallon. A pound is a pound. He who says fifteen ounces is a pound - he must be put down. A pound is a pound, or we go bango."

Sigh. Coen's use of dialogue makes me weak in the knees. Oh, to have that firm control of dialect.

Other faves in "Gates":

"Destiny": A knocked-out-too-often boxer agrees to take pictures of guy's wife in bed with a business associate, and ends up caught in between two gentlemen of less than civil reputation.

"Cosa Minapolidan": Among other things, a mob boss wants a fresh stiff. But the guys he's got on the job ain't quite right in the head, if you know what I'm saying. And one of 'em's new on the job.

"Hector Berlioz, Private Investigator": Aside from his name, there's nothing out of the ordinary about this private investigator. Coen sets the whole story like it could be an old-fashioned radio drama, and the results are both familiar and fantastic.

"A Fever in the Blood": Next to "Eden," this is the best story in the collection. Another p.i. finds himself deaf in one ear psychologically after having the other one bitten off. Brings the "Twilight Zone" to mind, complete with twist at the end. Perfection.

Anyone in need of a quick pick-me-up or an enjoyably light read can do worse than Coen. Grab your teddy bear, hunker down under the covers after (or in the middle of) a long day and thank your lucky stars you don't lead these sorry souls' lives.

On the Road tells the story of Sal Paradise and his trips across the country with his idol Dean Moriarty. The novel is based heavily on Kerouacs life and features several well known "beat" writers like Carlo Marx(Allen Ginsberg) and Old Bull Lee(William Burroughs.)

This novel was highly enjoyable for one reason, the infectious passion the author has for life's experience. Kerouac writes some beautiful and romantic passages idolizing partying with his buddy Dean all over the country. Apparently Kerouac wrote this in a burst of inspiration,(he even taped his typewriter pages together) and it shows with his genuinely emotional writing.

But spontaneous Prose? Anyone who has ever struggled to write knows good writing is not spontaneous, it takes time and a lot of effort to shape your ideas into a cohesive and focused effort. Granted this is good writing but it could have been better. Sometimes this novel reads like a first draft. At times Kerouac seems to ramble on, and it's breathless and tiring to read. If Kerouac would have taken the time to sit down and edit this potentially wonderful book and cut some of the extrenious information then this could have been much much better.

Still I liked this novel. Four stars for an almost classic. It really shows a lust for life, can you dig?

I decided to read Jack Kerouac's On the Road because a lot of my friends had read, it as well as some of his other books, and told me that I might enjoy it. The very beginning of the novel didn't grab my attention right away, but soon the pace picked up. The narrator, Sal Paradise (who Kerouac characterized after himself), seems like a simple kind of guy who likes to be with friends, have a good time, and be adventurous. It seems like he and his buddies are drinking at least every few pages, whether it be on the road with hitchhikers or while listening to jazz at a club. During the first half of the book, when Sal first begins his travels across the U.S. to meet up with his friend Dean, the novel has a free-spirited, optimistic tone. He hitchhikes with little money to get from place to place, and as he does so he meets many interesting people and makes some friends. Sal seems excited and open to anything that may come his way. During the second part of the book, after Sal has finally met up with Dean and has a love affair with a Mexican woman in the meantime, the pace of the book slows way down. It becomes difficult to know in which direction the story is leading because not much is taking place for a while. Sal goes back home for a little while, but is soon on the road again with Dean and other friends when they unexpectedly show up at his door to pick him up. He travels to San Francisco a second time, this time not alone, and spends his time drinking and looking for work. He doesn't seem as optimistic and excited as the first time he went travelling, but rather depressed. The story becomes more interesting again when Sal and Dean leave the U.S. and go to Mexico. Here they party more than usual and have as good a time as possible. I liked this part of the novel as well as the beginning because it almost made me feel like I was there, partying with them. Reading On the Road gave me a good sense of what it would be like to escape for a little while and just have an adventure, without feeling like I would have to worry about all the little things. Because I am the kind of person that thinks and worries way too much, it's nice to experience what it would be like to be more laid back and adventurous through reading this book. After reading this I have a sense of what it's like to be left with only yourself to depend on.

Jack Kerouac's writing is so smooth. It flows unlike any other writing I've come across. He was on Benzedrine when he was writing this book, and at times you feel as if you are on it with his descriptions of the American and Mexican landscape. It is the story of Sal Paradise, and his road trips he takes in the late 1940's. He is searching for so many things; truth, culture, landscape, and his history. The person that either inspires all of these trips or accompanies him on all of these trips is Dean Moriarty, an insouciant free spirit who is likewise looking for some answers. I can't help but feel that there is no real plot to speak of, in the traditional sense of introduction, climax and resolution. However, the important thing to realize is that Kerouac was not trying to tell the story of only one or two people; he was painting a picture of the American landscape shortly after the Second World War. He does this through the interactions of different drifters along the road. The picture he paints is perfect. _On the Road_ displays the post-war era as well as _The Grapes of Wrath_ displayed the great depression. This is a great novel, and can be understood and enjoyed by a person of any reading level.

Readers of Higgins' previous works would have been introduced to Sean Dillon, ex-IRA turned mercenary, a man who had his own codes regarding keeping of one's word but kills ruthlessly.

The background to the plot is this : a long lost sunked German U-boat from WW2 was found, and somewhere inside is a briefcase containing a list of secret bank account numbers to fund Nazism after the war, and a list of British secretly supportive of Nazi Germany, including the abdicated former monarch Duke of Windsor. The potential embarassment and backlash led the British PM to give the job for Group Four under BG Ferguson, who in turn sought the assistance of Sean Dillon, given the delicate nature of the job, the sub being in Virgin Islands, US territory and all. However, the operation is not as secret as it should be, for already, descendants of people named in the list were urgently seeking to get the briefcase first.

Higgins' flair in his work lies in keeping his story short, quick-moving with not too complicated characters who are just about credible.

Unfortunately, there were some loopholes in this one. First of all, the capture of Sean Dillon was rather hard to believe given the past records about him. If he was a chameleon who travels constantly under various guises, it would have been rather hard to believe that Ferguson could have known to bait him in Vienna.

Second, how the actual site of the wreck was discovered was rather incredible, given how no one thought of it earlier. Most divers would have come to it sooner.

Third, given the resources available to G4, and the critical nature of the job, it seems hard to believe that such a small force was despatched and they kept being tangled by simple hoodlums. People of experiences like Ferguson and Dillon should have been able to prevent most of their mishaps through simple but effective precautions.

What is satisfying though was how the villains were terminated.

What I could not forget though, was the promise of Martin Brosnan in a previous book, Eye of the Storm, who intended to hound Dillon down. Of course, it was not widely known where Dillon was, but if Dillon was going to come out in the open after completing his job, Brosnan would find him sooner or later to settle the debt. Can't wait for that to happen, hope it does, in a later book.

Jack Higgins has done a great job of marrying the shady end of World War II with a great action-packed yarn with Sean Dillon leading the way. A great summer book you can read in a day!

I admit that before I read most books, I check what others have to say on Amazon so I don't end up wasting my time. I noticed several mediocre reviews, and even a few very negative reviews about this book. This is only the 2nd Jack Higgins book I've read (the first being Solo, another excellent book), and I must say I'm glad I didn't let the negative reviews steer me clear.

As someone who has been to the Virgin Islands, I found that Mr. Higgins did a great job of capturing the feel and flavor of the tropical islands. Add to that a very interesting cast of characters, not the least of which is Sean Dillon, who is portayed as an ex-villain and general poor-man's James Bond who doesn't pull any punches, and always gets his assignment accomplished. The fact that Sean Dillon is portrayed as an ex-actor and is written with more depth than many 'leading man' characters in series today was an extra treat.

To the critics of this book, yes this was a fairly predictable plot. The good guys came out on top. But how many of us would read a book where the good guys ultimately failed? The book wasn't written as a mystery, but as an adventure. There were never any real secrets that you had to figure out, which is okay. The book wasn't intended as that sort of a book. What it did deliver was a fast-paced story with some very interesting bad guys, a lot of great action, and even a hint of romance.

Like other authors that I love and read regularly, this book is the kind where you find yourself staying up 'just a bit longer' so you can read an extra page or two. For those of you expecting one of Tom Clancy's epic stories with dozens of characters in settings all around the globe, mixing politics, intrigue, and lots of technical jargon, I'll warn you in advance. This book isn't like that. Instead, it's a focused story about some characters that I really enjoyed, going off on an adventure that was loads of fun.

This book was so great and easy to read that it's got me hooked on Jack Higgins. In fact, I've just started 'Eye of the Storm', the first Sean Dillon story from before he became a good guy. If you enjoy action, a bit of wit, and the sort of book you just don't want to put down, read this story.

This book was a reading for my 3rd grade daughter. I have no idea how or why this book EVER won an award, unless it was for being the most boring yet deppressing book ever written. And the illustrations were just as sad.

The Hundred Penny Box tells the story of young Michael and his Great-Great Aunt Dew.
Aunt Dew moved in with Michael and his family so that they could assist with her care
because her failing health made it impossible for her to stay in her home alone. Aunt
Dew is 100 years old and as proof she has a box, which she calls the "Hundred Penny Box"
which contains her collection of 100 pennies. The pennies in her collection represent
the years she has lived, and each birthday she adds a newly minted penny to her
collection. Michael and Aunt Dew play a special game where he counts the pennies while
she interjects memories about what was going on in her life during a that particular
year. Aunt Dew has told her nephew many times that if someone were to take her Hundred
Penny Box they would be taking her life. Because Michael's mother often makes decisions
without discussing them with Aunt Dew the two women do not have the closest of
relationships. When one of Michael's mother's decisions puts the Hundred Penny Box in
danger, what will Michael do to protect it?

While the illustrations in this book clearly reflect the abilities of the Dillon team
they seemed to miss the mark in this book. I felt the artwork took away from the story
considerably and overall it gave a heartwarming story an eerie vibe. Still this is an
enjoyable story about a special intergenerational friendship and love.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay...

The story of Michael and his great-great aunt Dew felt very real to us. We especially liked the part where they played the hundred-penny game together. We also liked the part where old Aunt Dew sings and dances to her favorite record. Dancing makes her feel younger and she forgets that she's a hundred years old. Michael loved Aunt Dew, and the author made us love her, too. Michael and Aunt Dew were very close. We thought that he understood her better than his mother did. We also liked the way that Michael stood up to his mother when she was about to throw away Aunt Dew's old box. We think that everyone should read this book because you can learn alot from it and you will enjoy it, like we did. Kids will understand their older family members better and may make them feel good and happy. [This review was composed and written by my fourth graders in Philadelphia)

Higgins doesn't break a sweat with this one. If you have read Higgins' other books with Sean Dillon as the protagonist there's is no need to read this one. Same story elements, same set piece action scenes and so on. Maybe I have read one too many of his books but they are all very much blending together now. Even the name of the book is unoriginal, note his earlier "Touch the Devil." Harmless enough few hours of reading but not much is new.

Drink With the Devil makes for an absolutely fantastic read. Sean Dillon, arguably the (or one of) most loved characters ever created by Higgins, returns again in this thriller. Yes, the story may be a tad slow at times, but it never promised to be a high adrenaline-pumped book in the first place. And that was why it was such a pleasant read. The mood of the book changes from time to time, scene to scene, and appropriately so. Higgins' writing may not be the most fanciful, but boy, was it a great ride. Not to be missed, especially if you're a great fan of Jack Higgins, and of Sean Dillon as well.

The first book by Jack Higgins that I read, since then I have read many more. While this book is slow at times it's not slow for long, I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Thank You Mr. Higgins for showing me the joy of reading.