This book is nothing short of captivating. The author provides brief explanatory narratives to connect entries from Edwards' diaries, beginning with flight training, then combat in North Africa, and the early post-war years in America.

Just ferrying his airplane from the States to North Africa was a big adventure, considering the rather primitive nature of navigation aids and weather forecasts in that era.

Combat in Africa and Italy is described in detail, some of it surprising. For example, a military advance had a down side. Moving forward to a newly captured air field meant that the American aviators were subjected to more ground attacks by German aircraft.

The second half of the book covers the early post-war years, when American factories were building new airplanes almost faster than the Air Force could flight test them. Many exotic, one-of-a-kind vehicles are described here.

To some extent, the reader has a sense of foreboding at this point, knowing that this story is destined to end as unhappily as the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Yet this knowledge serves to accentuate the daily events described here.

There are many memorable tidbits in this book, such as tales of a man who actually intimidated Chuck Yeager!

Glen Edwards is portrayed in these pages as so heroic, embodying so many virtues, yet so modest and unassuming. This is someone you would want to know and to spend time with. Through this book, you can.

A superb book about Glen Edwards. I thoroughly enjoyed and empathized with his career. The pace was like reading a literary version of Ravel's "Bolero" with the crescendo building to the final flight. The description of the crash was wrenching, superb.

A pilot's read! Bravo Zulu!

Paul M. (USN Ret.)

"The amount of reseach Ford wove into Glen Edwards: The Diary of a Bomber Pilot" is remarkable. The result is a wonderfully readable tale of one man's contribution to freedom and flight. Nice to 'know" such a man as Edwards and to have Ford, a historian/author who brought him back to life."

This is rework into usable language for all Christians to realize their callings and vocation are for service to their Lord.

Martin Luther in the Reformation returned the church of Christ to its proper understanding of work and vocation. Thus, to Luther even the common plowboy or in modern work a gas station attendant, is every bit as important as work as the missionary in Africa if done in faith in Christ.

This great restoration of Biblical teaching by Luther was furthered by Gustaf Wingren's classic "On Vocation." Veith was given this book, from whose reading comes this work.

Veith has the gift to put the complex in simple sentences and vocabulary. Wingren is difficult reading for most pastors, let alone the common layperson.

Classic quotes come from this,e.g. "But work done in faith has a different significance than work that is done in unbelief. The doctrine of vocatin helps Christians see the ordinary labors of life to be charged with meaning."

This will benefit those who read its treasures and apply it to their own vocations.

This book helped me realize my own strengths and weaknesses in my vocation. The message is especially inspiring to me, as I've struggled to understand my work in relation to God's call. I recommend it to anyone striving to serve Him, while living in the real world.

You may believe you are called to a job or to a non-profit ministry, but do you think of yourself as called to every other part of your life? Skilled Author Gene Edward Veith points out that an idea presented in the Protestant Reformation, that of the priesthood of all believers, teaches Christians to see all of life as God's call to glorify and enjoy Him. As a citizen, a parent, a spouse, a worker, and a church member, you are called to certain holy responsibilities and benefits. Veith writes, "Every kind of work [including fathering and mothering] . . . is an occasion for priesthood, for exercising a holy service to God and to one's neighbor." Therefore, our lives aren't on hold when the boring parts seem to hold up the enjoyable parts or when business seems to hold up ministry. It's all part of our multiple calling. We have God-given vocations meant to honor and enjoy God in everything we do whether it's in the back office, in the discipling process, or on the ball field.

More than this, the author draws from Martin Luther's writing on vocation to describe God's hidden role in our work. The Lord works through our activity, even the most mundane, to further His kingdom and glorify Himself. Understanding this results in a comprehensive "theology of ordinary life." "Most people seek God in mystical experiences. . . To find Him in vocation brings Him, literally, down to earth, [and] makes us see how close He really is to us."

God At Work is inspiring. It's a well-written handling of an important subject, increasingly important as the world urges us to segregate faith from all public life. Veith argues that God didn't establish secular work apart of the sacred. He designed everything as sacred.

I am usually a critic of "Life of Christ" stories. It's easy for me to mount my soap box and say, "If one wants to learn of the life of Jesus, read the gospels." However, this book was different. Oursler remains faithful to the biblical accounts of the life of Jesus, weaving the material from the four evangelists together to produce a truly great narrative. For those thirsty for some reading on the life of the Lord, I would certainly still point them first (and always) to the Scripture; however, I must admit that, regarding Oursler's narrative, there is some value to be gained from the stirring of the heart this story produces. Highly recommended for all -- both young and old.

Read this book out loud to your family and use it for discussions about the life of Jesus Christ. I have a 13 year old son who knew very little about Jesus, and now has a simple but deep grasp of the story. It has lead to talk about Jesus' miracles, His inspirational teaching of morality, and His resurrection. This book is accurate in every particular to the gospel of Mark. Oursler does a good job of describing the facts of the gospel in novel form so that the people come alive again. The language is challenging and specific, though not complicated. Oursler knows the definitive meanings of words and uses them well, but puts them in understandable context. One small remark that might be construed as a complaint: the physical descriptions of Jesus are true to the classical western paintings of a brown haired man with light eyes. Small quibble, not important. Oursler captures the spirit of the man and the glory of God in Him. If you need to "read" the Bible story before beginning your study of the Word, this book will give you a clear picture of the life and teachings of the Master. Enjoy!

The Greatest Story Ever Told is one of the most compelling books on the life of Christ I have ever read. Above that, Edward Herrmann's reading is artful and compelling. It's an excellent introduction to your friends who don't know Jesus, and for yourself if you want to grow in your understanding of the greatest man that ever lived.

This has to be one of my favorite cookbooks when it comes to treats that you would normally get from a bakery. This book is filled with those delightful cakes, pastries, and cookies of yesteryear, you know, when bakeries actually cooked everything from scratch. Your not going to find things you would find in your local grocery store in here, you will find treats that you would normally find only in the finest bakeries.
The book is divided into several sections: Muffins, Danishes, crusty breads, pastries, cookies, pies and tarts, cakes, and chiffon layer cakes. Most recipes come with either a hand drawing or there are a few color pictures included. Each recipe is carefully written and includes information about the type of pastry this is, or something special you need to know about the preparation. The Queen of Sheba Torte is my favorite in this book a rich chocolate cake with a ganache topping. You will find that this book will help you create finery that typically only comes out of the better bakeries.

We used to live near the Greyston Bakery when it was in Riverdale, and it was wonderful. We felt lucky when we found the cookbook. All the recipes we have tried have been delicious. We just finished making the sesame tahini cookies as a gift for friends we are visiting, and they actually asked us if we could make another batch before we left!

I hope they reprint this book. My copy is getting old from being used so much! I have tried almost every recipe from this book--always wonderful. The results are always perfect. I can't think of another book I own with such a great success rate.

Edward T. Hall's The Hidden Dimension, perhaps the scariest book (even scarier than 1984) I ever read. Scary, because it isn't fiction, but a rather elaborate essay on anthropology and proxemic behaviour. If Hall's right, things as disregard for other cultures, mindless urban development and demographic growth have generated a behavioral sink in which stress, crime, intolerance and physical and psychic disease grow everyday, and to make things worse, our governments take measures that only accelerate the process. We are all going down the drain.

Ed Hall is one of the preeminent cultural anthropologists of all times. His work, studies, and insights into the rich modern anthropology reflect a life long passion he developed as a teenager in the 1930's Southwest U.S. assigned to work on white-managed WPA crews alongside Navajo workers whose cultural bearings and world views were vastly different than his own people's views.

Hidden Dimensions examines the cultural contexts of space, how peoples define their personal and community spaces as part of their cultural norms.

How far apart or close do people of a similar culture feel comfortable standing or sitting next to one another and in what circumstances? When do you feel someone is "in your space"? This personal comfort zone differs culture to culture. Yours may be different than mine. Hall develops these "proxemics" (proximity) in this book by observing and visiting with peoples from around the globe, and shares the wisdom gained with you so that you might expand your own world views and spatial orientations when mixing with foreign cultures to your own.

Well worth the sheckles to add this great work to your life's library. Collect all of Hall's works.

A fabulous writing on how human beings react to and make use of spacial distance from a physical and psychological viewpoint, i.e.. the study of proxemics. The type of book that should be reissued without fail by the publisher, though it is old, since it is a classic in its field. Actual numerical distances and their effect/use/experience by humans are explained as well as much about eyesight and its abilities. Hall also explains how different Euro cultures (German, French, and others) plus how Americans use space differently. I'm seldom this positive about any book but must give this one a highest rating.

This book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the "good doctor" was completely guilty of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth. Despite the way the Mudd family has manipulated the story and the media for decades, the truth is finally coming out!!!

A True account of Mudd's involvement. Though he cried foul, "The guilty dog barks the loudest".

The Notes' section alone is worth the cost of the book!

This is Abbey's most unabashedly anarchist novel (yes, even more so than The Monkey Wrench Gang) with anti-militarist undertones as well as his usual love for the rural Southwest.

This is Abbey's one attempt at writing sci-fi, with the novel set in a future time when the governments and big corporations in the cities have collapsed under the weight of their own unsustainability, and the people have largely returned to the small-scale agrarian economy of the Old West, albeit with no government. The ideal, in Abbey's worldview. Only problem is, there is a would-be military dictator trying to establish a power base in Phoenix and re-establish the state and the primacy of the city.

Not as good a novel as The Monkey Wrench Gang, but still rates 5 stars.

For some intellectual fun, compare and contrast this book to Ayn Rand's Anthem. It is interesting how both Abbey and Rand portray the cities as hives of statism and authoritarianism, and rural areas as the places where freedom and escape from authoritarian government can be found. And yet, Abbey and Rand held such diametrically opposed views on the environment and wilderness preservation. Which one is right? Or more to the point, is preserving wilderness and rural areas from development our last best hope as an escape hatch from authoritarian government? On this point, I'll put my bet on Abbey any day!

This is not only one of Abbey's best novels but a great novel in its own right. As both a city and a country dweller I can not only relate but confirm much of his notion that cities are not nearly as healthy for a man's soul as the country is. In addition this is a great story about social decay and what it takes to over come the challanges that arise from such a situation. We have grown soft and forgetful of what our forefathers went through to create a country like ours and this book gives a realistic and easy to swallow insight into their frames of mind and their state of heart. This is the wild west and the futurama all mixed together with an iron fisted military group to boot. I still can't believe this was never made into a movie.

Abbey's best work will always be his essays, but this novel is one of those "forgotten" dystopian classics that deserves much more attention. Forget Orwell's "1984." It's too European. Forget Levin's "This Perfect Day." It's too fantastic. Abbey has written the best post-apocalypse American novel to date. And his politics, as always, ring true. Up the rebels! An anarcho-classic

This is probably one of the best full accounts of all the major campaigns of World War II and includes the conclusions of many of the best military historians on what went wrong with the conflict and how the awesome consequences of the war were largely influenced by errors, mistakes and blunders. It is a MUST book for anyone who
is interested in the major military and polical blunders which determined the outcome of the most important struggle in world history.

This comprehensive review of the political and military blunders of World War II is awesome. It not only covers all the major campaigns of the most important war in world history, it also includes an analysis of the causes of the greatest military conflict and it also
includes the opinions of many of the most important military historians of World War II.
If you are interested in World War II, this is the book!

Probably the most complete analysis of why and how World War II happened of any book published on the subject. The author presents
a comprehensive review of every major action of the war, cites the views and conclusions of the leading historians of the conflict and clearly demonstrates that due to errors, mistakes and blunders Adolf Hitler lost the war and the allies and Russia won the war inspite of their blunders. thus saving the world from the suffering and extermination that would have been the consequence of Nazi world domination.

Siamese twins occur only once in 100,000 births. Those joined at the head, like the Guatemalan twins recently separated at UCLA are the rarest of all, occurring in less than one in a million births. UCLA, which has one of the world's leading neurosurgery centers is not the first operating theatre where a successful attempt was made to separate "craniopagus" twins who shared some of their neurological "wetware." That honor belongs to Vienna's university hospital and a team headed by pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Wolfgang Koos and American neurosurgeon, Dr. Robert Spetzler.

Step by step, "The Healing Blade" describes the operation performed on the conjoined twins. The surgeons had been rehearsing each step, "together and apart, through three months" to acquire the necessary precision of movement. The operation itself took place over a period of days. Sylvester describes the scene before it began:

"At the juncture of the twin operating tables lies what appears to be a log of ironwood, dried pale and clean. It is the long, common skull of the twins, shaved of that fringe of curly brown hair. Nearly a foot apart two small [three-year-old] faces appear carved into the wood, one facing straight out, one cast slightly downward, both in slumber, perfect cherubim carved into the column of their skull."

Read this fascinating account if you are at all interested in the fate of the Guatemalan twins at UCLA. Unfortunately, the twins who were separated in Vienna later died of infection, so this is a cautionary tale. We must not become too optimistic, even though the surgery was successful:

"In 30 attempts worldwide to separate twins joined at the head, from 1928 to 2000, only seven of the 60 children came through the surgery without brain damage; 30 died, 17 were neurologically impaired and the remainder of the cases were reported before the ultimate outcome could be determined, according to the medical journals [NY Times 08/07/2002]."

Other operations performed by Dr. Spetzler had more successful, long term outcomes as described in "The Healing Blade." This book focuses on three main subjects: Dr. Spetzler and his contributions to neurosurgery; the history of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where Dr. Spetzler performs the majority of his operations; and a new state of the art procedure called the "Standstill," which is a nickname for hypothermic arrest. In a sense, the patient dies for an hour--no blood and therefore no oxygen can reach his brain while he is chilled down to the point where his heart stops.

This book is much more unputdownable than the latest techno-thriller by, say Clancy or Ludlum, because it is true. The author's attention to detail places us right into the operating room with the surgical team, and deep into the magical cavern of the human skull. The only dry stretches of text concern the founding and history of the Barrow Neurological Institute, and they don't take up too much room. The author also works in a brief history of neurosurgery, but none of it is quite as fascinating as the scenes where Dr. Spetzler is poised over his intraoperative microscope, carefully dissecting an aneurysm that threatens to explode through the micro-currents of a human intelligence.

This book gives a compelling and realistic look into Barrow Neurological Institute and its leader, Dr. Robert Spetzler. And I should know.

I was on Dr. Spetzler's operating room table less than two years ago and am yet another of his miracles.

Anyone considering any kind of neurological surgery should read this book before doing anything.

Very few books actually make my all time favorite list (I'm not big on James Joyce, by the way) but this book did, and how! It reads so smoothly because it introduces you to the director of the Barrow's Neurological Institute by literally bringing you into a very complex surgery of clamping a middle cerebral artery aneurysm by using a makeshift heart lung bypass machine to cool the person's body and brain to 61F to literally shut down the metabolism of the brain to prevent anoxic damage when the blood is pumped out of the body to deflate the aneurysm so that the surgeon can dissect out crucial small blood vessels away from the aneurysm before clamping the aneurysm. And that's just the first chapter! There's great historical reference to Harvey Cushing and Walter Dandy. There's a "who's who" of neurosurgery (including Charles Wilson from UCSF). There's an insider look at the political side of academic neurosurgery as well as an impromptu history lesson of both the Barrows Neurological Institute and the Phoenix, AZ region. You will learn a lot about the techniques and personalities in the world of neurosurgery. It's an amazingly quick read...I can't put it down. After reading this book, go and buy Frank Vertosick's When the Air Hits Your Brain as well as Mark Shelton's Working in a Very Small Place.

Cyril Robinson was clearly a gifted and scholarly historian with a prodigious vocabulary and complete command of the English language. Unfortunately, not all the world's readers share those abilities. The result is a rambling tome targeted at academicians, not the masses. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, but why do it? Greek history is a rich tale full of important lessons on the development of our own democratic society. It should be available to the layman. Robinson, however, chose to saturate his bloated prose with an overabundance of "henceforths" and "hithertos," using long multi-clause sentences that force the reader to reread passage after passage in a constant struggle for comprehension and retention. The sheer number of dates and difficult names of people and places are hard enough to follow without adding puffy, upper-crust verbiage.

Well-educated readers--especially those with some background knowledge of the subject, will probably enjoy this impressive book. But for the average reader just looking to tone up on the basics of Greek history, this is going to be a yawner. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

When I first became aware of this book many years ago, I passed up the chance to read it because I thought it was going to be a bit too scholarly. That was a bad mistake. About a year ago a friend of mine who downloads audiobooks from Audible let me listen to a portion of this history. I was so hooked I decided to buy the cassette version. This narration is far and away the best history I have ever heard in a recorded form. Contrary to one of the reviewers, I take strong exception to the assertion that Robinson's language is difficult. He writes beautifully. If you're just not up to good English standards...too bad. This is a marvellously narrated piece of ancient history that will live forever and should definitely have a place on the shelf of any amateur historian who values honest writing and clear thinking. I am thankful I came across this great work.

I wrote an Amazon review for Professor Robinson's book, History of Greece, back in 1997. I still consider it to be one of the most entertaining histories I have ever come across. In fact, I liked it so much, I recorded it. It's a book worthy to be read, (and heard) over and over.