Contrary to suggestions in the title, this is not an exciting tale and the military elements are thinly drawn. The author touches upon military life and there are a few (repeat, just a few) combat scenes. But as a whole it is a pale, sketchy, awkwardly told tale, and unlikely to meet the expectations of fans of writers such as Cornwell or Pressfield. The book is more of a story of political intrigue than life in the roman legions. The mechanics of the invasion of Britain are glossed over in favor of plotting by wine-sipping, toga-clad nobility.

The storyline is good and the concept of a fictional account of the roman invasion of Britain is great. But the writing and story-telling are too poor to carry it off. The author advances the plot with coincidence and gross improbabilities. For example, the prologue opens with an iron-bound wooden chest being dumped into the waters of a bog. 100 years and 200 pages later characters looking for the chest just happen to literally fall upon it during their search and of course it is perfectly intact.

The characters are flat and their interactions clunky. Characters use jarringly modern, anglicized slang. For example, the favored curse is "bloody", and Germanic tribes (he calls the tribes Germans) are referred to as "Hermans".
Characters might shout "Up and at 'em!" to start an infantry charge or shout "On your feet, ladies!". Any author trying to capture ancient conversation styles is in a real fix but Scarrow's decision to use lines reminiscent of WW-2 B-movies is unfortunate for the reader.

Save your time and $$$ for some other book. A second star only because I could finish it.

In 42 AD Claudius is Emperor, the Germans have been mostly subdued and Rome has the isle of Britain set as the next territory to be aquired. It has been nearly a century since Julius Caesar made his unsuccessful foray to subdue the Britons, and Claudius needs this success to assure his rule. Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian, as Augusta and legate of the Second Legion, is to play a major role in the conquering of this new province.

Simon Scarrow does a wonderful job bringing history to life through the exploits of new recruit and optio Quintus Licinius Cato--and his centurion, Lucius Cornelius Macro. These two fictional characters weave a credible story by their interaction with fictionalized versions of Vitellius, Vespasian and his wife Flavia, and Narcissus--freedman, secretary and confidant of the Emperor Claudius.

I look forward to reading further novels by this author as they make their way into American publication, and highly recommend this work of fiction for anyone with interest in this part of history. You might also enjoy the "Roma Sub Rosa" series by Steven Saylor and the "SPQR" series by John Maddox Roberts.

I'm not sure what some of the previous reviewers were looking for in this book, but clearly some people missed the point - this is a novel, and one written by an English scholar who specializes in Roman History as it pertains to his homeland, Great Britain. As such it is fiction, and does not pretend to use latin phrases ad nauseam! The story is a page turner and I simply could not put it down until I had finished the entire book! Having finished, I could not wait months for the next volume to become available in the USA, so I had a copy shipped from Amazon-UK. If you are interested in Rome and enjoy historical fiction, what are you waiting for?? The battle sequences alone are worth the price of the book, and they get better in the next two volumes.

The eagle's gift is the first of the casteneda series that dives the reader into the world of dreaming. Casteneda has evolved from the shaman's apprentice to being the one in charge of the party of sorcerers. His evolution leads him to dreaming practices that build upon the basic abstract cores that are outlined in his earlier books. The dreaming is actually an advanced way to further the apprentices understanding of awareness... always with the purpose of strengthening one's connecting link with intent and building a concentration on the spirit. The connecting link with intent becomes unbending intent which eventually serves as the way to total freedom. The goal is to gain the totality of one's self by nurturing one's awareness through dreaming. The fixation of attention on a solid object in quick gazes ie. to the object and away from the object is one of the preliminary techniques introduced in the eagle's gift.

Well put to the person from Germany in summing up not only the "spiritual", "magical", and "philosopical" sides of Castenada's, such as the Eagle's Gift, but also a very logical and scientific side of Don Juan's teachings. The more I think about reality and existance and my place in it, the more I realize just how exacting Don Juan's descriptions of the world are. Instead of experimenting on or guessing about the nature of reality, Don Juan simply sees what is and you really can't get any more exact than that. I encourage anyone with any sort of vague interest to pick up and read one of Carlos Castenada's works. While reading it is easy to disregard what you're reading as fiction, but I encourage you to discretly read between the lines, so to speak, lay down pre-conceived notions and personal dislikes, and discover just how marvelous and profoundly intelligent Don Juan's teachings can be...

Carlos Castaneda's "The Eagle's gift" is the best and most important book I have ever read. It makes me sad to read about other people's skepticism which, in my opinion, is dictated solely on the base of prejudice or shallow knowledge on the subject. Those who have met Carlos Castaneda know that there is nothing invented in his books, as strange as it may seem. Unfortunately, when one is confronted with something that does not fit in our dayly reality, we immediately discard it as "fake" or "absurd", so that before giving up to stupidity or bigotry, one should first have a deep knowledge about what he is criticizing. "The Eagle's Gift" opens untapped possibilities for all human beings who have enough courage and are enough open-minded to venture into the magic world that Carlos Castaneda presents us with. This world is a magic realm that we can experience right in our own realities and lives. Finally, because there are no words to express my admiration and gratitude, I will just say that I recommend this book to anyone who wants more from life that just being drift through it.

There is one thing that you will not like about this book. It will have you wanting MORE at the end. I do not mean that the story is lacking by any means, though. I mean that you will want to know what happens next to the characters and hear more of their stories.

This is actually two books in one. Half of it takes place in Tobyn Ser revolving around Jaryd and the other half in Lon Ser revolving around Meylor. I found it very amazing how Coe seemed to change the characters (there is a ten year period between the happenings in the first book and the third) while keeping them the same. Coe's ability to tell a story is one of the best. You will not get bored or recieve any filler all the while being on they edge of your seat. I had trouble putting this book down and though it is not so in depth as many other fantasy series, it is fun if nothing else. Definately read this series.

I was a bit hesitant about making this purchase since although I found his first book in the series really amazing and interestingly-concieved, I found the second book a bit of a let-down. This third and final book was truly entertaining and well-crafted, albeit still not quite approaching the level of the first book with its focus on one character's journey. The ending was definitely a let down --- too predictable and not enough emotional resonance was developed in developing the arc of a great romance (there was much potential here that could have borne much greater fruit). Still, a very enjoyable read with interesting ideas and characters that make it difficult to put down; better editing and more thought into a more creative ending with some greater element of tragedy (the writing style seems more superficial in this third book than his first novel, perhaps because of its focus on so many different smaller characters to provide momentum to events rather than character development). Still, much better than what is generally available on the market; I think Mr. Coe is proving himself to be a gifted storyteller. I look forward to reading his next fantasy project.

ever since i first read Children of Amarid i have been VERY excited to read any other David B Coe books. the author is an excellent writer and you grow to love the characters, no matter how annoying they are! The plots are very complex and take many turns, nothing is predicatble. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes a good fantasy

I read the book before I saw the Masterpiece Theatre version - and I'm glad I did. Couldn't put it down. The author has created believable and an unforgettable story. If you enjoy reading about life in an English village - and I do - then The Rector's Wife is good choice for you.

Having read just about all of Joanna Trollope's wonderful books, I have come to regard "The Rector's Wife" as her very best, for so many reasons.

For those of us who have ever felt the despair of knowing that love alone cannot save a marriage; for those of us who have been drawn into a loved-one's depression and cannot break free; and for any mother alive who has had a hurting, unpopular child--this book describes feelings that are impossible to put into words.

Anna Bouverie (yes, I see the parallel to Madame Bovary, but Anna has more soul) is the wife of a village rector. Her life is rigidly circumscribed by the expectations of her husband's parisioners. Thus, it is important that she head certain "rotas" (I love that word; British for "rotations," meaning committee members who take turns doing church chores). It is imperative that she appear impeccable in her clothing, her behavior, her mothering, and just about everything else. This is not easy, as her stolid, dogmatic husband Peter makes such a paltry living that their children have to wear parishioners' second-hand giveaways. In fact, the Bouveries are living in a kind of static hell, although nobody but poor, miserable schoolgirl Flora seems to realize it, and her perceptions are all about being a misfit in her horrid school.

Peter and Anna are sustained by a bright vision of the future: Peter hopes to be named archdeacon, which will change their circumstances considerably. The bitter loss of this hope is the catalyst that eventually destroys Peter--and sets Anna free.

As Peter sinks inexorably into a deep, surly depression, Anna's attempts to reach him, to connect as they did when their marriage was young, are angrily rebuffed. On her own, metaphorically at least, Anna, desperate to remove Flora from the hated school and place her in another where she can thrive, takes a practical step. She gets a job stacking shelves in a supermarket, so she can earn enough money to pay for the new school.

The outraged gossip from a secretly delighted parish (not only is the rector's wife working; but she is placing their child in a Catholic school! Horrors!) Peter's icy, enraged reaction, and Anna's rebirth as a woman form the crux of the rest of the story. Events simply evolve, unstoppable and unpreventable, even as they race to their (...)conclusion.

I love this book. I love the truth of it. I love Trollope's eye for rural British life; I love her characterizations; I love her understated and measured style of writing. If you only read one Joanna Trollope book, make this the one.

All I can say is I love this book so much and have read it about five times. More than the story of a rector's wife, it's the story of a sensitive, caring woman trying to keep all the needs of her family together and yet care for them in her own way...in this case taking a job so she can send her daughter to private school. The small act of this job is a terrible affront to the wage earning of her husband and the small English parish. Her children are so real and so is her life. It deeply deeply touches me. There are not many books I read so often, but this is one of them.

The cover alone says it all -- no one in their right mind would punch and defend like that in a real fight! If you want to learn how to defend yourself, find a qualified instructor who knows what he's doing; otherwise, for your own sake, skip this book.

The author of this book, Leung Shum, is a true master of Eagle Claw kung fu. He is the inheritor of the style, so the aunthenticity and quality of this book is of the highest standard.
The reviewer who keeps writing the same bad review over and over again obviously knows absolutely nothing about kung fu. He doesn't realize that the techniques in this book are the beginners training techniques of a complex kung fu system, not simple self-defense moves. This reviewer says "the locks are too complicated to use in a real fight". Some of the techniques are complicated, and they require lots of practice. But after they are mastered they can be executed in a split second by a skilled martial artist. This what separates martial arts from self defense; self defense is simple and easy to use, while martial arts are very complex and take many years to master. Marial arts can only be learnt directly from a master, people who think they can read a book and suddenly be able to use the techniques in fighting do not understand martial arts.
The reviewer also says that kung fu is only for looks. It is understandable that someone would say this because the movements in kung fu are often very unsusual, and look as though they have no value as a fighting technique. This is part of the mystery of kung fu, in reality every movement is a powerful fighting technique.

The book is well made and the pictures are of high quality. A person cannot learn kung fu from books, but this book is very good for getting familiar with authentic Eagle Claw, studying the comlicated techniques of this style, and learning the basic priciples of this style. The book also includes the 108 locking techniques of Eagle Claw, which have previously been kept secret for many years. I would recommend this book highly to anyone interested in learning about this style. It is rare that such a distinguished master such as Leung Shum writes a book, most books written on the subject of kung fu are written by unqualified masters.

Master Shum is the teacher of my teacher's teacher, and I have had the opportunity to assist two seminars by him. He is a real fighter and a very traditional teacher. This is probably what the other people criticize from the book, the traditional focus. The book is not a self teaching manual, nor a complete guide. The book is useful for whoever is interested in learning about the history and features of Eagle Claw, for the current students and for real students of other Chinese styles. Learning Kung Fu is not as learning other martial arts, Kung Fu has a tradition and Master Shum follows strictly this tradition, therefore the forms are taught the way they were designed, though the real application will vary. The angles and distances in a form are different of an actual fight, as the form is designed to train the reactions, the stances and the timing. Eagle Claw is so subtle, that without a teacher you won't be able to apply it. This book is just a reference, but don't think that without a proper guide you will learn a kung fu system.

I am very disappointed with this "book". And I use the term "book" loosely, it is really nothing more than one big commercial for her workshops.

There are people who think that the only way to practice Native American (or any indigenous) spirituality is the traditional way. According to them, Creator and the spirits only listen when they are addressed via rituals established within a tribe-specific context and transmitted unchanged through time. These people will not appreciate Brooke's book (forgetting all the while that most "traditional" Native practices are actually rather recent, at most a couple of hundred yrs old).

What Medicine Eagle is trying to do here is present her experiences and conclusions about the nature of reality and the spirit world. These conclusions are often tentative and one often gets a feeling that her work is still very much in progress. In any case, one can be virtually certain that anyone who writes books about Native American spirituality is either a sincere beginner (who still harbors the illusion that talking about it can be useful) or a shameless exploiter of naive audiences, or both. This book belongs somewhere in between naivete and exploitation. The first part, which deals with her vision quests, is interesting. The second part is a plug for her workshops and is boring.

One chapter I liked was the one on Moshe Feldenkreis. The Westerner tends to be disconnected from his/her body and any spiritual work done under such circumstances can be fruitless or positively dangereous (spirits talk to us through the body and if we are not conscious of the talk, they will tweak the subconscious mind in ways we might not appreciate). Feldenkreis was a true expert in bodymind integration and a combination of his teachings with those of indigenous traditions is a great thing.

Creator has created all of us equal and what (s)he cares about is not the tribe one might belong to but the sincerity of our prayers and a dedication to "save all beings" because all of them are our relations. Spirit has many ways of seeping into our body and expanding our awareness of interconnectedness. Brooke, in this book, shows us her own path towards such awareness. It seems to work for her and maybe it will work for others, too.

Brooke Medicine Eagle is one of the few native medicine teachers that have not been forced by threats of violence to stop teaching non-native peoples. She has consistently through the years been a voice of the rainbow way - joining all peoples together in the celebration and love of Mother Earth. This remarkable book tells of her journey, her visionary call to her work, the long years of training that occurred before she began to teach, and offers many techniques she has found useful in helping promote personal balance on the Earth path. Brooke is one of the remarkable voices of our time - this book offers her voice clear and unfettered. The voice of a contemporary Earth mystic who has been trained in both traditional Native and contemporary healing paths. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I too should write a book like this and jump on the fantasy bandwagon. I know as much as Ken does about Castaneda, his book is a rehash of the Castaneda books and says nothing new. Why pretend you knew Don Juan. The book is full of ego and self importance and is completely opposite to the teachings of Don Juan.

Ken, you're supposed to lose self importance not inflate your ego even more.

The author does a good job of presenting the Toltec path for those who might otherwise struggle with the writings of Carlos Castaneda.

He claims to have met "Don Juan". I won't comment there, perhaps it was a vision, perhaps Castaneda only had a vision. Perhaps Don Juan met a lot of people (I've met a lot of people, why shouldn't he?). The quality of the work stands above and beyond such things.

However, one thing that was a major turn off was that the author changed a lot of the Castaneda terminology so it would be "politically correct". Personally, I think that the term "ranger" sounds pretty dumb. The terms "warrior" and "stalking" reflect and suggest the strong link to death that runs very strong in the Toltec world. Are we really only "tracking" power? Do we just want to see were it has been so a real "stalker" can capture it for us because we're a bit to PC for the job? :P

Why "pretty it up"? This annoying feature couples with what I found to be a bit too much of a "joy joy" New Age and PC perspective. I suppose the author isn't just redoing Castaneda, and offers his own perspective. Frankly, this addition isn't appreciated. What I loved so much about Castaneda was the "no bs" grit of the perspectives offered there. Castaneda kept it real and this author does harm in my opinion by bending the system like he does. I'd rather have seen him simply offer his own view of the Toltec universe without the references to Don Juan or Castaneda and thereby sully them by association. Either you have the ethos to do it on your own or you ought to submit something more in the spirit of those whom you want to represent.

Oh well, otherwise, it's a comprehensive introduction to the world of the Toltec "sorcerers" found in Castaneda's books (my apologies for saying a bad word).

5 stars for a comprehensive and readable job, 1 star for the patronizing PC goop that pervades this book. I'm weighting the content, and simply plugged my nose when I had to, so 4 stars.

Thank you, Ken, for writing this book. It has been one of the most useful books that I have ever read. Next to Castaneda, this book of yours comes to mind as a solid Toltec reference.

I give this book 5 stars, well-deserved.

After seeing Rosemary Altea on a talk show. I put this book on reserve from the Library. About 3 months later I finally received a copy to read. I do agree with some of the other reviews. The book was not proofread very well. It was sometimes hard to follow. I found myself reading a sentence over and over again to follow what the author is saying. I was a bit weary about reading this book. Because of my personal Christian beleifs. I was pleased to see there was talk about God, Prayer and Heaven. I am half way through the book and besides the errors in the proofreading itself I find it a interesting topic to read about. Not sure If I believe it all myself but I have been able to pull some good out of it and apply it to my life and lives around me. I am not an avid reader but I do enjoy her writing and stories. I found myself not being able to put it down because I cant wait to see what she says next. I would recommend this book to a person who is having to deal with a loss of a loved one.

I picked up Rosemary's book and couldn't put it down. I found her message easy to follow and totally uplifting. I found the repetition interesting, as it is a common form of communication from our spiritual guides. I also found it interesting that Gray Eagle did not resolve her issues in her relationship. It would have been disappointing -- spirit guides do not resolve issues for us since that is part of our journey. I think Rosemary's personal story was a part of her own healing and encouraging to those who have similar issues in their own lives. I've seen her on television and read her books and "egomania" is not a term I would ever associate with her spirit. She appears to teach through example. I found her approach to healing to be realistic. Only God determines our fate, healing is not always physical in nature, but also on a spiritual level--if you read the book carefully-- brings peace to one's spirit. It takes courage to share one's own interpretation of age old "laws" such as the Ten Commandments. I found her insight thought provoking. For those of us who have been able to reach awareness of our spiritual guides and existence of our loved ones in Afterlife, Rosemary continues to be a teacher who seeks only to encourage and uplift. This book , as in The Eagle and the Rose, continues to guide us in our own studies. Her stories ring a bell of familiarity for those of us who have experienced this awareness, and let us know our community grows stronger. It takes courage to expose your heart and soul--and learn. That's the lesson I appreciated most from this book. A must read for anyone searching their soul, seeking awareness.

In this Rosemary Altea's second book she brings us even closer to the world of spirit and life after life. An inspiration for all that are in need or are in the process of healing. Some ideas in this new book maybe a bit difficult for some to get their minds around, but that's they whole idea-not to use your mind. Read this book with your heart and your soul and the anwsers and questions that you longed for start to unfold. Myself a clairvoyant since birth found this a catalyst for new beginnings, new questions and new answers. If you are wanting to learn more about what there is out there for us, waiting for us. If angels exist, what the universe and spirit is doing to assist us in this human experience, then this is a must read. Rosemary pushes the bounderies of life questions with the help of her spirit guide Grey Eagle, but these are questions that needed to be answered and anwers that needed to be read and heard by the world. Do yourself a favour, if only one-Read Proud Spirit. It will change you-Forever.

Although I am very sympathetic to the fact that Europeans "stole" this country from Native Americans, this social commentary about the heartless "white man" really got to me. It's very rare when I put a book down without finishing it, but I did this one. I kept thinking it would get better, but unfortunately, it didn't.

Yes, I admit, a majority of the books I read are true romances so therefore I'm a bit predjudiced when I say I didn't like this book. Romance is not the main theme here. It is the struggle for Native Americans to receive recognition.

The chemistry between Heather and Kole (who the author can't decide whether to call Kole or Kola) is tepid. They fall in bed almost immediately and everything else is anticlimatic (sorry for the pun). He's got issues with his past, is on the run for a prison break and unfortunately Ms. Eagle gives him the type of dialog that puts you to sleep.

Thank goodness I just got this from the library. I'd hate to think I wasted money purchasing this book.

I like to buy books by authors I've read before. Sometimes this limits my selection, but I'll have a good idea whether the author's style pleases me. The first book by Kathleen Eagle that I read was THE NIGHT REMEMBERS. I loved it and have made a point of buying all her books. YOU NEVER CAN TELL won't disappoint romance readers who are looking for a love story that has a page-turning plot.

Kole and Heather have a lot of road blocks in the way of their love. That's what makes a page turner. I sat up way past midnight reading this one in a single sitting. Kole doesn't seem attractive as a hero at first. He can even seem threatening to Heather, but when she needs him, he's there and the ending is beautiful, perfect. I loved every word!

I have read all of Kathleen Eagle's books and this is one of my favorites. As usual, she writes with a sensitivity that touches my heart in a way few writers are able to do. She is a master when it comes to writing beautiful prose and all of her characters come alive. When I read this story it was as if I was right there on the journey with Kole Kills Crow and Heather Reardon. Being from northern Minnesota, I was especially interested in the setting of this story and thought she did a terrific job depicting this part of the country. This is a beautiful love story I know I will read again and again.

This is a very thought provoking book, especially for those who grew up in Texas. When I was in junior high, I took a Texas history class, as all kids my age were required to do, in which I was told the heroic tale of the Alamo, which basically recycled the same cliches one always gets in a history class that is mainly propaganda from one point of view. It wasn't until I read this book in college that I realized there was another side to this story, namely that of the Mexicans.

Long clearly has an agenda here, which is to highlight the flaws in the heroes and motivations of the so-called Texas Revolution (which Long claims was more of a hostile takeover - given the United States' expansionist mindset at the time, he's probably right), and to show that there were other points of view. He does this in an extremely thought-provoking manner, writing the book like a suspense novel. It made me call into question all the blind faith I, and probably most Texans, had in the heroes of the Alamo.

However, there are some serious flaws here. In pursuit of his agenda he makes some assertions without backing them up with facts. And his portrayal of David Crockett betrays an obviously personal bias. He starts out depicting him as a consumate politician who went to Texas hoping to rebuild his political reputation - OK, fair enough, that's probably true. However, his depiction of Crockett's death - on his knees, begging for his life - has no basis in fact. No eyewitness accounts from the period mention this. Admittedly, those accounts are all Mexican, and they may have been biased, since by the time they gave them Mexico had been defeated, and it doesn't pay to brag that one of your conqueror's heroes died a coward, but there's no evidence about his death either way. Scholars are pretty sure he was executed, not killed in battle as depicted in numerous, overblown paintings, but beyond that we don't know. So where does Long get his story?

I don't know what kind of research Long did for this book, so I can't back up any of his claims. However, this book's mere existence at least calls into question all the pro-Texas, pro-American, pro-white mythology that surrounds the Alamo, which can only spark debate and more research into history, and that's a good thing.

P.S. If Long is so biased towards the Mexican side of the conflict, why does he portray Santa Anna as damn near psychotic?

This is a superb account of the Alamo--far and away the best I have read. One reason it is superior is that it gives the Mexican side as well as the American side of the battle--the book is subtitled "The Mexican and U.S. Fight for the Alamo."

The book is also the most objective, in that it does not start with the premise that the Texans were right and the Mexicans wrong. It provides a wealth of information on the political and historical background of the battle, enabling the reader to understand the battle in the context of the larger struggle between the United States and Mexico. Unlike many other accounts, Long's emphasizes that Texas was a part of Mexico; the Texas Revolution was not so much about liberty-loving Texans fighting against a despotic Mexican dictatorship as it was about Americans having migrated to Texas and still feeling primarily loyal to the U.S. rather than Mexico. The reasons for the colonists' loyalty to the U.S. were not always noble--for example, many of them wanted to own slaves, which was allowed in the U.S. but not in Mexico. Long's book is also superior because it provides so much detail. All other books on the Alamo seem superficial by comparison.

As good as this book is, it also has some major flaws. It is written in a somewhat academic, laborious style, so it is not as captivating as accounts written in a more popular style, such as Lon Tinkle's 13 Days to Glory and Walter Lord's A Time to Stand. Also, Long takes a pretty cynical perspective, painting almost everyone, American and Mexican alike, in pretty negative terms. And he seems to prefer melodramatic explanations at the expense of more reasonable, but also more prosaic, ones. That said, this is the closest yet written to being the definitive account of the Alamo.

I first encountered the writing of Jeff Long about ten years ago. I am a climbing enthusiast and I read practically any mountaineering book I can get my hands on. Jeff had written a corker, "The Ascent", as well as the book that formed the basis of the movie Cliffhanger, "Angels of Light".

Imagine my surprise and pleasure, then, when browsing in an Austin Texas bookshop to find that this self-same writer of mountain lore was also the author of a couple of books on Texas history. The first, "Duel of Eagles" was written in 1990. The second, "Empire of Bones", was written as a follow up and covers the events leading up to the massacre that was the Battle of San Jacinto.

"Duel of Eagles" concerns itself with the Mexican-American fight for the Alamo in particular, but also Texas, more generally. It will not be on the recommended reading list of those who treasure the largely fictional accounts of "historical giants" as David Crockett, Sam Houston or William Travis.

It exposes an uncomfortable fact from the history of the United States. And that is that Texas was by and large stolen from Mexico. And it was stolen by a rag tag band of slavers, gun runners and petty criminals (many of whom acted with shocking depravity and cruelty) operating with the open encouragement of the American government. Say what you will about Mexico of the day, it had a constitution, it had a duly constituted government and it was a sovereign power. That didn't stop Andrew Jackson.

But in case you think this is a piece of pro-Mexican propaganda, guess again. Long is as harsh in his treatment of the Mexicans as he is of the Americans. The point here being that he is not afraid to tell the unvarnished truth. For too long Americans, and the rest of the world, have laboured under the impression that the Mexicans were the aggressors. They were not. But just because they were responding to a hostile attempt to steal a huge chunk of their land, does not mean they were any better than the people who were trying to steal their land from them (though the Mexicans had, at that point, abolished slavery - this was one of the grievances that the pro-slavery Texans harboured against the Mexican government).

Long's book is incisively written. He went straight to the primary sources -- journals, letters, articles, government documents and newsletters. The story that emerges is not pretty and is not flattering to the American government or people of the day.

For almost the first time Long tells the Mexican side of the story. For those of you familiar with the movie version of the Battle for the Alamo, it may come as a shock to know that the battle was over within 45 minutes. That Santa Anna brushed aside the token and futile resistance of the militia inside. That far from the glorious and prolonged last stand depicted in the movies, it was a short, sharp and nasty melee. Virtually no Mexican soldiers died at the hands of the Americans. Hardly the American Rorke's Drift.

It is passingly strange that two of the most prominent incidents in American History that are cited for their heroic qualities are in fact largely devoid of any of the heroism with which they have been imbued by succeeding generations of hagiographers anxious to burnish the reputations of men who were in the best light charlatans and boors. These two incidents are the Alamo and the Last Stand at Little Big Horn. This is not to say that the soldiers who fought and died in those struggles did not exhibit great personal courage. What I do mean to say is that they fought for causes that were tinged if not polluted by course and venal motives.

This book is a page turner. It is a necessary anti-dote to the propaganda that disguises itself as the history of the founding of the State of Texas.