Although I found some of the personality intrigue interesting, the writing was so off-putting at times that it made skimming a virtue. Unfortunately, I cannot take Larrabee seriously as a scholar because of some notable and clearly refutable statements that his admirers are either unaware of, or simply unwilling to acknowledge. A visit to page 83 of the hardcover edition provides ample evidence of sloppiness, untruthfulness, and even vanity -- which of course gets Larrabee into trouble as you will see. When addressing the topic of FDR's foreknowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Larrabee claims "that there is no substantiating evidence whatever." A quick perusal of the reams of interviews with high-level British military and diplomatic sources, agreements between Japan and Germany, intercepted coded messages, and most recently the work of Stinnett (which came after Larrabee's book was published, but which only puts the final dunce cap on Larrabee) make Larrabee's claim absurd. A key objection raised by Larrabee is that Roosevelt, who really would have preferred war with Germany according to Larrabee, would not have provoked Japan into war because there would be no guarantee that Germany would declare war against the U.S. Unfortunately for this argument, Roosevelt was aware of an intercepted diplomatic message between the Japanese ambassador and Von Ribbentrop in which the German foreign minister stated that Germany would join Japan immediately if Japan went to war with the U.S. Furthermore, FDR's cabinet member, Harold Ickes had stated, "For a long time I've believed our best entrance into the war would be [via] Japan...which will inevitably lead to war against Germany." Too many of FDR's defenders raise this same argument -- as if like garlic to a vampire it somehow wards off all questioning of FDR's character or knowledge by means of its devestating effect, which of course is devestating only to those who try to wield it.
Even worse than Larrabee's ignorance is his lack of education -- which, combined with his academic's vanity, deals a serious question mark to his accuracy and perhaps his personal honesty. He resorts to the invalid "argument from authority" or "appealing to the gallery" (choose the fallacy you wish as he seems to rely upon them rather heavily). Again on page 83, after claiming an absolute absense of evidence (and I direct readers to a raft of books on the subject all with plenty of evidence, including Toland, Morgenstern, Beach, and John Denson in addition to Stinnett), he claims that those who claim FDR had foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor are reduced to "arguing that its nonexistence proves the existence of a conspiracy to suppress it. Credo quia absurdum." Not only is this stretching the truth (the part in English), but Larrabee's misquoted and re-constructed Latin phrase is a telling reminder of both his vanity and desperation to impress us with what he wishes were his vast compendium of learning. First of all, the early Christian theologian, Tertullian actually wrote, "Certum est quia impossible est." What I believe happened here is that Larrabee, wishing to pepper his text with something learned beyond the usual phrases such as "modus vivendi," pulled out of his imperfect memory a misquote or else relied upon an inferior source of quotations that was published in English. He then found the phrase, "I believe because it is absurd." This is a commonly encountered mis-translation of Tertullian. But providing the English quote was apparently not sufficient for Larrabee. Wishing to stun us with his vast learning, he attempted to rely upon his (probable) high-school Latin -- which turned out to be a very weak reed indeed -- and made a sorry attempt to do some clumsy Latin composition of his own so that he could use italics lettering in his text. Uh-oh. Mistake. Latin composition requires knowledge, not an amateur or diletante such as Mr. Larrabee. The result? A perceptive reader notices such things and realizes he is dealing with an intellectual lightweight, not a scholar. I wonder if the education institutions with which he was affiliated were ever aware of this streak. If he taught at a university, he must have been insufferable. He certainly isn't among the cognoscenti. Needless to say, things like this cast a pall over the remainder of his book. Ciao!

This is one of the most useful and well written books that I have read on World War II. Larrabee discusses in depth some of the leading American commanders, including: Nimitz, Eisenhower, Lemay, MacArthur, King, Marshall, and Stilwell. His discussion of Vandegrift included a lengthy discussion of Chesty Puller and his exploits on Guadalcanal. Obviously, any discussion of Chesty Puller can be extremely humorous, but Larrabee's anecdotes left me in stitches. I have also read a review on this site alleging that Franklin Roosevelt was aware of the pending attack on Pearl Harbor. The reviewer alleges that based upon the correspondence between the German foreign minister and the Japanese government should have made Roosevelt aware of the attack. My only response is that if German participation was a foregone conclusion, then why did Germany wait until December 11th to declare war? This is an extemely useful overview of the American leaders and the strategy that they employed in World War II. It should be required reading by any American history class studying the 20th century.

If you want a good read on the overall strategy and leadership qualities that these men brought to our country in its finest hour, then take off your shoes and settle into your favorite armchair. The referencing that went into the book is impressive. The facts are stunning. The leadership was impressive.

Fourth Down and Life to Go is a largely one-sided account by a bitter and angry man who lashes out at many innocent people in addition to those Franklin believes he was wronged by. It's a story of turmoil within a coaching staff that got out of hand and ultimately led to the collapse of that staff. While the book is Franklin's personal view of the inside of a college football program, it sadly misses the mark due to false accusations and attacks on anybody associated with the program. If anything, Franklin's account is a lesson in how not to handle things as an adult when disagreements arise in the workplace. Franklin would have been better served to sticking to reporting the facts and stories that transpired. His interjection of paranoid and bitter beliefs and views about situations, circumstances, and others dramatically reduces the credibility that the book could have otherwise had.

This book was very entertaining and provided a solid look into the workings of UK, Inc. (aka UK Athletics). The book not only provides details on the ugly events rarely seen or heard outside of the inner circles, it also shines lights on many of the positive aspects of the program.

There were several stories (good and bad) in the book that, while I knew it possible for them to be true, my mind wanted to force me into disbelief. Fortunately, I have the good luck to know some of the many individuals mentioned in the book, so when I hit some of the stories, I simply picked up the phone and called. Without fail, every one confirmed the story in question! This leads me to believe the remaining stories are just as accurate. (Which I should have anyway, I've also had the honor of knowing Coach Franklin and he is pretty much a solid stand up guy.)

When all is said and done, the book is informative and educational, but it leaves me wanting for one more thing...the rest of "The Story".

If Tony Franklin says it is true you can take it to the bank. This book is more than just an account of the Mumme Era. The approach that Tony has used to tell his story is set forth in lessons that apply to all walks of life. You do not have to be a football coach or fan to understand the valuable lessons brought forth in this book.

Some will read this book and say there is no way that what is written can be true. I truly believe what is said in this book about the Mumme era is a correct accout of what happended. Tony Franklin is a man of character who as his book states is a stand up type person.

Read the book with an open mind. Many will not know the names of the coaches and players mentioned but you can relate many of the lessons taught to your personel life. The things that happened at a division 1 SEC school will boogle your mind.

If you want to train your cat, this book is a wast of time.
Sally Franklin doesn't really tell us how to do it in many cases.
Many of her 50 ways are not telling us much. "to get on with the vet: 4. Take your cat on a visit to meet the vet...this initial meeting will enable you how to assess how your cat adapts to the vet's handling. 5. If the initial meeting goes well, register your cat with the parctice." Ok, and if it doesn't?
Or: "To climb a tree and get down: 1. Now encourage the cat to back down the tree." How, Id' like to know!
"3. If this doesn't work, use a ladder, or seek expert help from your local Fire Station" Well, thanks for the advise.

Better read Karen Pryors Book " Getting started: Clicker Training for Cats"!

This book is great!!! My cat learned a lot from it and so did I! Some of my friends thought I was crazy for thinking that I can train my cat because my cat is very, very active, but i did and now my cat is very trained! I even preformed in front of people the tricks that my cat learned and everyone loved them! Read this book and train your cat to do easy simple tricks, like stand on his/her back legs and much, much, much MORE!!!
Read this book and you will be happy you did!!!
#1 Cat Training Book Ever!!!

I train cat and this is the best book every all my friend and customer love it. Are you bor of trying everything with no help or iprovment. This book is the key she tell how to do in so many different was if you don't like 1 just go to the next. If you love your cat it will show with this book. and it is so cheap that if you don't like it you could sell it ... have fun with this book. i did!!! love your cat or cats

Lindsay was an OSS military advisor who fought with Tito's partisans in Slovenia against the Nazis in World War II. His account is a highly-readable thrilling adventure story - climbing snowy mountains with the Germans in pursuit, crossing streams in the night, directing parachute drops, organizing Allied supplies to the Partisans. Lindsay's matter-of-fact prose is effective and adds credibility. He disdains the frequent Allied advisors who are overly pro-Partisan, never losing his distrust of communism. But he clearly has a lot of respect for the Partisans' organizational skills, intelligence, courier lines, and tactics.

Some of the most interesting material discusses the inability of the US, UK, or Soviets to either create or find or support any indigenous resistance groups in Austria. Why? Several reasons, including the inescapable fact that Austrians were not so dissatisfied with the Nazi government, were less courageous than their counterparts in Yugoslavia, and were far more willing to lay low and wait for liberation rather than risk anything at all to hasten it.

The strongest chapters are the early ones, with Lindsay in the mountains of Slovenia, where he participates in the events he discusses. The book becomes noticeably weaker as the war winds down and Lindsay moves to Belgrade and is kept isolated by Tito and is unable to witness much of what he reports on. He does a game job of reconstructing events from other sources, but much of the immediacy and some of the credibility of the early material is lost.

The postwar political struggle for the (now-Italian) city of Trieste is fascinating. Tito coveted the city and its Adriatic access. The Yugoslavs were dogged, single-minded, and happily willing to engage in deceit to seize the city in the postwar settlements. Finally, Lindsay is entirely plausible in presenting the view that only the U.S.'s 1950 intervention in Korea prevented Stalin from attacking and subjugating Yugoslavia in the wake of Tito's break with the Soviet Union.

This is a strong book, not without flaws, but certainly enlightening and useful to scholars of the Balkans and World War II as well as to those who just enjoy a fascinating war adventure.

One of those books that demonstrates how reality is usually more interesting than fiction. Lindsay's account of his activities as an OSS operative in the former Yugoslavia during World War II is a much better read than most Cold War spy fiction. The text is very readable and hightly informative - not only about wartime events in Yugosalvia but also about the policies of the Allied governments and military in dealing with them. The book also provides a good deal of information on a topic that is covered very little in the English language: the struggle of the Slovenian Partisans against the Nazis. Lindsay points out that some of the first territories liberated within the Third Reich itself were in fact in the Slovenian provinces. Linday's observations of Tito and his senior staff just after the end of the war are also quite revealing. The text is, however, weaker where Lindsay does not speak about events he did not directly witness or take part in. Thus, he often cites rather uncritically a number of secondary sources on specific events in wartime Yugoslavia. Even so, the book as a whole is an excellent read and a valuable source of information on the subject and period that it covers.

I read this book specifically because I wanted to see what I could learn about partisan warfare from the military liaison point of view. I specifically wanted to see how many lessons might be applied to the situation in Afghanistan.

While I realize that one can not simply substitute the name "Afghanistan" for "Yugoslavia," I wanted to know if one could draw some more general lessons from our past experience - and who better to write about our past experience in such warfare than Franklin Lindsay!

Certainly the American news media is at a loss to explain not only the current dynamics but more significantly what tasks must yet be completed before we can hope for a stable, prosperous and free Afghanistan. By in large, the American media has not been able to get over the significant cultural differences. They simply aren't equipped.

And so I read Lindsay's book looking for far more than a ripping good adventure - and found it! While I can't claim to "understand" what to expect next from Afghanistan next, that is due more to the lack of good information. What I have now is a list of questions I believe critical to the overall success American foreign policy. I have a starting point. I have a framework, and I credit "Beacons in the Night" with helping identify for me the various key dynamics associated with fighting a numerically superior enemy and securing effective control over a large and diverse population.

America look out! The ground we trod has been crossed before. Listen and learn - the pitfalls are huge, but we can indeed succeed. Yugoslavia stands to serve as a beacon toward success - and a stark warning against failure.

What research! What an education! What a great introduction to the topic! What solid and enjoyable writing! This book was everything I'd hoped it would be - and more.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse at the light at the end of the current terrorist-tunnel. This book isn't just history - it's an unflinching preview of 21st century warfare. ~Robert

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proved his mettle in how he dealt with his domestic enemies almost as much as in the way he fought Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini. As Professor Albert Fried demonstrates in FDR and His Enemies, the homegrown foes were at times the tougher adversaries.

Fried places on FDR's list a formidable cross-section of American enemies: Father Charles Coughlin, the bombastic radio priest; aviator Charles Lindbergh, who morphed from international hero into Nazi dupe; John Lewis, the labor leader who used people as callously as ashtrays; Al Smith, the first Catholic to run for president who became an ardent opponent of the New Deal; and Louisiana hurricane Huey Long, perhaps the most dangerous and brilliant of the five. How FDR responds to each is based on that individual's strengths and weaknesses. Thus, Lindbergh and Coughlin are marginalized by their own words, Smith and Lewis by their own vanity, and the dynamo Long is co-opted as much as he is battled. FDR's deft approach to each proves impressive.

Unfortunately, the book at times is an apologia for FDR's many excesses and shortcomings. As an example, spurious excuses are offered for horrific civil liberty violations such as the president's indiscriminate use of the FBI wiretaps on domestic foes. In this and many other instances Fried betrays the prejudices of academicians of his era. To such men FDR did no wrong, the facts be damned. Also, in keeping with the style of professors of his background, Fried can't resist showing off his impressive vocabulary. Keep a dictionary handy.

Nonetheless, the book remains eminently readable and brings a unique perspective to an earlier president whose superb political skills often exceeded his discretion and intellectual capacity. Fried is at his acidic best when he directly quotes outrages from Lindbergh and Coughlin, and the book shines when the professor chronicles the seemingly benign but always powerful theatrics of Long and Lewis.

One of the better descriptions of FDR was "a man of first-rate temperament". As Fried proves, FDR had first-rate enemies as well.

any way.
FDR, like Lincoln, was loved or hated intensely. There were few people indifferent to them.
With the exception of Lindberg, all of them: Father Coughlin, Huey Long, Al Smith & John Lewis had a love/hate relationship with the president.
In the case of Coughlin, Smith & Lewis, FDR gave them a light touch. They eventually self destructed. They were flawed little demagoges. Long could have really caused some political trouble but was killed early in FDR's presidency.
FDR really seemed intent on bringing Lindberg, already an American icon, down. It was his isolationist views, so persuasive, rather than his Nazi sympathies that concerned the president. When war finally came & Lindberg volunteered, FDR personally intervened & thwarted him.
Some biographers have given Lindberg a pass. They have treaded lightly on his isolationism, his Nazi support & anti semitism. This book is not so kind.
I might never read a biograhy on Coughlin, Smith or Lewis so the information on these three historic figures was valuable to me.
That FDR manipulated The United States into World War II, as the isolationist even today contend, is probably true & the subject of more than a few books. However history exonerates him.
In this case the means truly justifies the ends.

It has been said that we can tell a great deal about a man's character by the enemies He makes, And Franklin Delano Roosevelt had more than His share of enemies.Albert Fried attempts to illustrate FDR's character, political skills and His place in history by evaluating His relationships with five of His most implaccable political enemies, An interesting concept that falls short in some areas. Al Smith was one of Roosevelt's earliest political mentors, FDR probably would never have

become president had Smith not virtually blackmailed Him into running for Governor of New York in 1928.After the election Smith felt He was due some deference which He never got. But to blame their alienation envy and resentment on Smith's part is I believe wrong. By 1932 Smith had moved to the right in His ideology as many do as they get older. I believe that He genuinely believed FDR was moving America towards Marxism.Huey Long was said to be the only politician that FDR genuinely feared.Against all logic the author believes the Kingfish would not have run for Presidentin 1936. I believe that Long would almost certainly have run and thatHe might have thrown the election to the Republicans. As William Manchester once wrote; ''Huey Long is one of the few men of whom it can truly be said that had He lived history would have been different''.The least impressive of the enemies is Father Charles Coughlin, a windbag in a clerical collar. John L. Lewis was a Labor leader with dictatorial ambitions who clearly underestimated Roosevelt's popularity with the workers. Charles Lindbergh was the only one of the five who was not originally a Roosevelt ally.Lindbergh was enormously naive, I don''t think He was a Nazi.Fried says that all of these men were living in the past and could not understand that Roosevelt's policies were the wave of the future. I don''t think that could truly be said of either Long or Lewis. And it begs the question of wheather the ideas of the future are always superior to the ideas of the past. Nevertheless a good book.

I first read this book in 1980, when it was probably the best available introduction to the New Deal era. Leuchtenburg is such a stylish writer that the book remains well worth reading. However, some of his arguments, particularly on the economic side, need a little updating. In addition, there are more thorough works these days on Roosevelt's battles with the Supreme Court and the complexities of the court's judgements. Leuchtenburg's real achievement, though, is to bring across the sense of hope and creativity and energy that Roosevelt infused into so many Americans. It is the spirit of the times, as much as any supposed lessons about government activism and demand management, that makes the New Deal era so special. Leuchtenburg captures that spirit extremely well.

William Leuchtenburg is, without doubt, the greatest historian of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal. His impact has been enormous, both in the field of history (he has trained most of the other New Deal historians) and in the larger world (if you've been to the FDR memorial in D.C., you've seen the quotations carved in stone, which he selected).

Though Leuchtenburg's body of work is impressive, this text stands as his single best work. Though it's nearly forty years old, the text is surprisingly lively and the interpretations quite lucid. This is, without doubt, the single best text on FDR or the New Deal. Simply outstanding.

The New Deal is a era of history which of which I frequently heard but really knew very little about. We knew that it was a very important period of our history in which the Roosevelt administration attacked the depression with an alphabet soup of agencies. The New Deal managed to alter the political balance of the United States for the balance of the century, but which was really unsuccessful in ending the depression until the advent of World War II. It was to learn more about what really went on during the New Deal that I opened William E. Leuchtenburg's "Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal". I was very pleased as I read this book.

At the start of the book I was expecting this to be a propaganda piece for FDR. While the author seems to view the New Deal with favor, I did find the book to seem to be a rather even handed account of this period of history.

Leuchtenburg begins the book with an analysis of the conditions existing at the beginning of the New Deal. The advancing gloom of 1932 provides the background for the beginning of the story. The progressively desperate measures of the Hoover administration are contrasted with the rising tide of the Roosevelt movement in the Democratic Party. The shadows of despair lengthened in the winter between the November elections and the March inauguration. This section of the book both reinforced and challenged my prior understandings. The fact that the economy deteriorated significantly over the winter was confirmed. My prior readings, presented from President Hoover's point of view, emphasized Roosevelt's unwillingness to endorse any attempts by the administration to deal with the worsening crisis. Rather than illustrating a shallow and indifferent character, Leuchtenburg presents the time as one in which Roosevelt resisted Hoover's attempts to commit the new administration to continue programs favored by the old.

The section on the first 100 days emphasizes the uncritical manner with which the Congress rushed to approve most measures sent to the Hill from the White House. The session of 1934 was another time of accomplishment for the Administration although the front of solidarity began to crack.

The High Tide of the New Deal came with the election of 1936 in which Roosevelt carried all states except Maine and Vermont. In the aftermath of the election, as occurs after so many landslides, Roosevelt over reached his grasp and suffered a major rebuff with the defeat of his court packing bill in 1937. Over this issue, Roosevelt alienated some of his most loyal supporters, including his own vice-president. With that battle, the New Deal had, for the most part, exhausted itself. While domestic challenges remained, the New Deal had run out of answers. The hope of 1933 had given way to a sense of hopelessness as the economy plunged again in 1938. The specter of permanent massive unemployment was seen by more and more as the New Deal initiatives failed to end the depression.

Toward the end of the thirties, the challenges rose on the overseas horizons. Leuchtenburg skillfully narrates the change of focus of the administration from moving the country out of the fear of the depression to one of moving the country to face the dangers looming abroad. Roosevelt's struggles against the strong strain of isolationism are skillfully presented.

There are several things which I learned from this book. The New Deal as a modification to preserve the social order, rather than as a revolution to upend that order is a point well made. The delineation between the steps which Roosevelt would take as opposed to those which he would not consider were interesting. The mention that the main concern of the New Deal was the plight of the farmer came as a surprise to me. I had always thought that it was mainly concerned with industry. The acknowledgment that full employment was not achieved until 1943 says much about the economic effectiveness of the New Deal. I finished the book with a much better understanding of what the New Deal was than I started out with.

As the title indicates, this book is primarily about Franklin Roosevelt. While many other actors in the drama, both within and without the administration, play important roles, the focus is always on Roosevelt. This is proper because, in truth, Roosevelt was the master of the New Deal. The book makes the point that if the gun of Zangara has struck down the Roosevelt, rather than Cermak in Miami, a Gardner administration would have directed history much differently. Truly this was a case in which a great personality did make a great difference.

The treatment of FDR is very good. Stressing his initiatives, which met with both success and failure, Leuchtenburg gives us a view of the influence of Franklin D. Roosevelt on history through his leadership of the New Deal. There is no place in this book for an inquiry into personal lives, so common in modern historical and biographical literature.

This book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in an overview of the New Deal. I would recommend it for teachers at the high school or collegiate level for class assignments, students looking for materials for book reports, or anyone wishing to acquaint himself with a fascinating and influential period in our history. It fulfilled all of the hopes with which I opened the book.

A Review by Brandon

This book is about two boys named Joe and Frank Hardy that are on vacation. The local football team had a recent death on the team and nobody knows what happened. The owner talked to Joe and Frank and they decided the help crack the mystery. So the owner hired Frank as the back up punt returner and Joe as a guy up in an office that watches the game. Together they worked and found out who the killer was.

Three things I didn't like about this book are the realism, the lack of action, and the pace of the book. Let's start out with realism, it was lame, like they would really hire a kid on a professional football team and actually play him. Also like they would really have a couple of kids trying to solve a murder mystery. The pace of the book was really slow; it took forever for anything to ever happen. This book really lacked action; it had one good part in the beginning with the kids playing football. Then one in the end with a football game, they let the middle wide open.

I recommend this book to young teenagers that like sports/mystery books. If you don't like sports then this book isn't for you. Overall I thought this book was an ok book.

...The Hardy Boys: Illegal Procedure is a football mystery. Frank and Joe got to San Diego for a break with their father. The owner of San Diego's N.F.L. team seeks Mr.Hardy's help. He also gives Joe a job as the new punt returner, and gets Frank a job at the main suspects office. Through these jobs Frank and Joe solve the mystery.

The story is ended a little abruptly. It would be better if it told a little bit more about what happened after they solved the case. It was almost like the author got tired of writing and just quickly rapped it up. The story was easy enough to read, the author didn't use big rare words that bore and confuse people. That makes this book an easy and fast read. As far as the plot goes, it is easy to follow and moves at a good pace, so you shouldn't get bored with is. The author uses enough detail so that he leaves some things up to the imagination, but not to little that you're left wondering about the things that need detail to understand.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football and mysteries. The Hardy Boys have been around for a long time. So a lot of people out there that like them, so check one out for yourself.

While in California, the manager of the San Diego Sharks asks the Hardys to investigate the death of one of the players. Joe gets to go undercover on the team while an evil plan is being formedagainst him. This book takes you on a wild ride to find out just who is responsible for the used to be player's death. This book is one of my personnel favorites because Frank doesn't get in on the action as much. Usually it is Frank's plans and Frank's ideas that break the case, but now Joe gets a chance at the action. Good Reading!

This book I rate a 1.6 in a sense. It was ok and worth reading, but was not all that wonderful. My biggest critique of this volume was simply this - and pardon me - but "American ignorance" And any Canadian will know what I'm talking about. First of all, before something goes to print - get your facts together and make sure its accurate. I see this with Scooby Doo, The Hardy Boys and other works of jeuvenille fiction. Americans think there are no English people in Canada!. The brothers travel to the Prairie provinces in Canada in this volume and meet up with who? PIERRE! A Frenchman. Everytime Americans come to Canada they run into French police officers, French fur traders, French lumberjacks etc. French people historically settled in Quebec, New Brunswick and to a lesser degree Nova Scotia - NOT the Prairies - which was settled by people of Ukranian ancestry. My problem with this volume is simply a lack of knowledge on behalf of the Syndicate. The book itself otherwise is medicore. RATED C-

Frank, Joe, Chet and Biff go to northern Canada to locate an ancient Viking rune stone that was recently stolen from the man who found it. This is an average book, so there is not much to say about it really. The plot isn't bad and there is a moderate amount of action. Most fans will probably not be overly excited about this book, but it shouldn't bore them either.

This book is the kind that you want to read again and again. It is about Frank and Joe who take a trip to Canada on a case because someone robbed a man of a valuable stone left by the Vikings. Carabou, a french canadian trapper was robbed of 1000.00 in cash from the sale of the stone. Will Frank and Joe find it?

I consider myself a big fan of J. Gregory Keyes, so it probably comes as no surprise that I found this book, like its predecessors, to be delightful. This third book in the "Age of Unreason" series picks up ten years after _A Calculus of Angels_ left off, and the three main characters of the tale (Ben Franklin, Adrienne de Montchevreuil, and Red Shoes of the Choctaw) soon realize a malevolent entity in the western reaches of North America threatens all the Colonials have fought for.

Keyes' style is round-robin, and he rotates between characters, chapter by chapter, throughout the book. He is somewhat guilty of blatant cliff-hangerism, but I've learned to enjoy it. His characters are interesting enough that I didn't mind being torn away from one to hear about another.

But without a doubt, his strength is his masterful concoction of cultures that could have been ancestors of our own. His knowledge of native American tribes is evident, and he uses it to greater effect in this volume than in the previous two. My biggest complaint was that _Empire of Unreason_ seemed to end like a movie whose film had run out, which is why it gets only four stars. Certainly, there could've been a grander climax, but the book as a whole stands solidly.

If you've read the first two books in the series, the third is no reason to stop. My favorite still remains _Newton's Cannon_, but this book sets up a fourth (and final, so I hear) book that I eagerly await.

Ten years have passed since the death of Isaac Newton, ten years since the Russians had access to his scientific journals fromn Prague, the less critical ones than the few he could manage to take with him to Venice. We see now why he did not want to contribute to the 'science' of the Royal Society, nor lend much aid to the monarch in Prague - in reality the 'technology' of the malakim (the realm of spirits between humans and God), or even more correctly - plain old fashioned sorcery - "philosophically useless" as Newton once told Ben Franklin. A guilded cage for the truly scientific spirit. And what use have the Russians made of his discoveries? They produce more and more hideously evil machines of war, even a life-gobbling maelstrom of malakim known as the keres, a "dark engine". One suspected that Leonhard Euler would make an appearance, but so far, maddeningly, he JUST MAKES AN APPEARANCE!. Probably the most gifted mathematician to ever live, he frees himself from service to Tsar Peter, and goes in search of, who else?, Newton's clever young apprentice, Franklin. And the subplot is dropped there! Red Shoes becomes a frightening apotheosis of the Native American shaman, and Adrienne finally learns the error of 'using' the malakim, thoughtlessly, like a witch. But is it too late?, and her son...it is her passions that will destroy the world. And maybe that is the point of Keyes' opera: that what makes us humans distinct from our mere human nature - (read especially her 'dream' in the abandoned wilderness that was once the gardens of Versailles) - is our reason, which we ought not abandon, even in the face of extraordinary temptations to gain everything: power, wealth, revenge, victory ... simply by "asking" for it.

Empire of Unreason is the third volume (out of four) in J. Gregory Keyes series, "The Age of Unreason." The series depicts an 18th Century world that has discovered the existence of angels who take an active role in the human world. These are not the beneficient creatures that appear on Christmas cards, but spirits that intend the control and destruction of the human race.

In the first volume, "Newton's Cannon," we find three key players, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin and Adrienne do Montchevreuil enmeshed in the plots and machinations of the English and French kings. This is a titanic struggle over Newton's discovery of Philosopher's Mercury. It ends in the destruction of both countries when Louis XIV managed to aim a comet at London.

In the second volume, "A Calculus of Angels," the world is plunged into a new Dark Age by the cataclysm. Newton and his assistant Franklin flee to Prague, while Adrienne struggles for survival and is drawn to Tsar Peter the Great. Cotton Mather and Blackbeard lead an expedition to the Old World to find out what had happened. Along with them comes a Choctaw shaman, Red Shoes, who will play an increasingly significant part in later volumes.

With most of the players introduced book three, "Empire of Unreason," plays them out on a canvas that focuses on events in the New World. Franklin and Red Shoes lead separate efforts that bring them in direct conflict with the machinations of angels manipulating imperial Russia. These manifest as the appearance of James Stuart (the English Pretender) with an army on the Eastern Coast and the invasion of the Western Coast by Oriental and Russian forces lead by the Sun Child, who is actually de Montchevreuil's son. The plot swirls with complexities as the various characters are drawn into what may become a confrontation in the next volume. Here they fight battles and hunt the creatures of the Malakim (angels) and are hunted in turn. The writing is colorful and there is a never-ending supply of cliffhangers and twists to keep up the reader's interest.

I am reading another alternate history series at the same time, Mary Gentle's Book of Ash. This follows a young woman military commander in a struggle across the face of 15th century Europe. The two series have much in common. The heroes are facing enemies that would eradicate the human race. The primary characters are touched by magical forces that change them permanently. And their struggles are against overwhelming odds.

The series differ in that Ash is true science fiction coupled with superb military history, while the Age of Unreason is a fantasy with the illusion of a scientific basis. Age of Unreason is the more intellectually interesting, since the author takes the time to delve into philosophical and metaphysical ideas. Not in such detail that the narrative is ever the least bit tedious, but there will be times when you put the books down and think over a paragraph.

Both series are exceptional works of author's imagination that I recommend wholeheartedly. Certainly, if you enjoy one of them, you will enjoy the other.

This review concerns the revised 1967 edition. The Hardys and Chet go to Mexico to search for a missing witness in a stock-fraud case on which Mr. Hardy is working. Their search takes them to the desert and mountain regions of Baja California; where they come upon a village terrorized by a mysterious symbol carved into the doors of peoples homes and a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Much of the beginning of this book is similar to the original; however, the ending has been completely rewritten. The book is rather good and I would actually give it 3 1/2 stars. There is a moderate amount of action and the plot is interesting. I found the book made good use its mexican setting and the writing was fairly descriptive. It was a good book that is definately worth reading.

This review refers to the original 1934 version written by Leslie McFarlane.
The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, along with their dad, Fenton, travel to Mexico to locate a missing witness in oil stock swindle.
Along the way, they rescue a kidnapped Mexican boy and get invited to his father's hacienda, where they meet a mysterious Yaqui Indian who aids them on their quest.
All the threads come together as the Boys and their father are captured by the murderous Vincenzo and his band of cut-throats.

There's plenty of action and adventure here as the Hardy Boys battle their way free and solve the case!

Frank and Joe are out in their motor boat when they have a run in with a man in another boat driving recklessly. Searching for him again, they find the boat abandoned and spot what looks like a submarine. Meanwhile, there father has started a new case. A bookkeeper, the star witness in a stock [problem] case, has disappeared, and Mr. Hardy must find him. Soon, the trails lead the Hardys down to Mexico, where they must use all their skills to track the men into the wilderness. But what will they find when they get there?

I always wanted to read this book as a kid (something about the name attracted me), but never got around to it. Finally reading it as an adult, I enjoyed being back in the Hardys' presence. Frank and Joe are still able to entertain, although I must admit they couldn't quite mystify as much as they did when I was a kid. Still, their fans will love this adventure with plenty of danger, excitement, and close calls. Not to mention a wonderful escape scene near the end.

These books have captured the imagination of generations of boys for a reason - the adventure. This book will keep readers glued to the page to find out what happens next to their heroes.