This book has a very important role in the post Civil War imagining of a different future. Child always presents optimistic endings to fantastically complicated scenarios: here two sisters from an illicit liaison are shocked to find themselves illegitimate and liable to be sold as slaves when their father dies. Most of the book details their adventures in romance and at the very end a few Civil War scenes serve to bring their stories back together. It's hard to follow the plot, but there's a lot to like about this book nonetheless. Dana Nelson's commentary is quite helpful. And Child is a very important 19th century writer.

I found the material of his book more challenging for an undergraduate. There were many times when I had to reread paragraphs to get a clearer understanding of what Shaw was stating. The maps and figures, which accompany his narration are adequately presented. The maps are cartographically simple and tables and graphs are basic in their design. Reading the text's references shows Shaw's attention to meticulous research. Throughout the book he cites a comprehensive list of related sources. Another noteworthy feature of his book is the Further Reading section. In this area the author advises students to consult newspapers, journals and other media because Russia continues to be a region of rapid change. Shaw also lists useful web site addresses. The remainder of the recommended readings is listed by subject area or a specific geography discipline, which is very helpful because it efficiently pinpoints specific information. The twelve page bibliography confirms extensive research and cross-referencing.

To start off, the editors of this book must have been asleep when it crossed their desks: the numerous erros in spelling and grammar interrupt a generally lucid writing style. Being in the field, I know that economists are not the most skilled writers, but I place all the blame at the doorstep of the publishing house. And the errors extend even to charts and graphs.

That said, the book is fairly good at getting its point across. While the authors' stance on capitalism-vs-communism is clear, they generally let the facts speak for themselves and are evenhanded in their treatment of the opposing theories.

A good, introductory post-mortem of Soviet and early transitional Russian policy.

This is an interesting account both of Goodman's trips to China and his spiritual journey. The details of life in China were fascinating as were his accounts of his personal struggle. It is rare to read an author so in tune with his feelings and his spirit. The book was both intriguing and filled with mystery.

"Social Conflicts in the Roman Republic" is a decent sketch of Roman history from the early Republic until Augustus. Don't let the title fool you - it's pretty much straight-up political history with a slightly social bent. The book is short (only 164 pp.) but well written and occasionally insightful. People engaged in deep scholarship should stay away from this book, because Brunt almost never cites his sources, but for the rest of us who want to get a quick overview of the republic in a night or two, this book could be useful.

An interesting collection of essays by different historians,this book does an excellent job of introducing the beginning university student to a number of issues related to Stalinism and historical methodology(somehow unconsciously);however,the lack of footnotes/endnotes makes this undertaking less credible and useful for more advanced readers.

Tanzania: Journey to Republic is a mix of historicaly signifigant events and personal rememberings of author Randal Sandleir. Upon reading the book one can gain a better understanding of Tanganyika and Tanzania from both the native and British perspective. Although the book is filled with colorful events that occured to Sandleir's 30 year stay with the Colonial Service at time it lacks the necessary historical content true historians will be looking for. With a forward by Julius Nyerere one can be sure that Sandlier was on the inside track of Tanzania's politics for the time he served as an expatriate.

This is not a book for someone who already knows a lot about Uzbekistan. Melvin is a 'nationalities' expert who has no evident background in Uzbek or the Uzbeks, so there is little in the way of in-depth analysis. If you are just looking to get a general review of Uzbekistan, this may be the book for you - at only 123 pages in paperback, it won't take long to get through. It's generally pretty readable, except for the occasional run-on sentance. You also need to beware of some sloppy editing that misidentifies dates and people. The book is primarily about politics, not culture, so if you are looking for something on history, culture, or religion, I suggest that you keep looking.

While an excellent source of Photo's of Vietnam era NVA and VC militaria, I personally found this book to be very lacking in details. Especially on weapons used by these forces. I also think that the price guide was a mistake and should not have been included in this book.This should have been done in a more detailed follow up volume. Along with Darrel Lulling, Mr Emering is most definitley a pioneer in the subject of NVA and VC militaria and should be given an "A+" for his efforts. The book is worth the money, just for the pictures that it provide's.

This book provides a chronological history of political events in Russia under Yeltsin. It is well researched and very thorough, but it has some problems that keep it from being a great book.

There is little social and economic context provided. It assumes the reader has a knowledge of what social and economic forces are impinging on the political events. Who for example are the "oligarchs," or the "natural monopolies," and what role do they play? This gets little explanation.

This is not an insider's story. There is no feeling of seeing deeply into the different personalities. You can argue that the book is about history and is not investigative reporting, but nevertheless the 2-dimensionality of the main players in the drama leaves the book flat.

There is nothing to help the reader separate out the more significant from the less significant events. This is an important role for the historian, to bring out the defining and pivotal moments of historical events. This book is simply a chronology.

The book gives a glimpse into the nature of politics in Russia today and for this reason it is valuable. But the academic historian will find it more valuable than the general reader who, like me, may find it a disappointment.